Roommates
by Sorrowxdarkness
Summary: After deciding to stay on earth, Lapis felt incomplete. Something felt missing and she felt she needed to put some distance between her and the Crystal Gems so she decided to find a place of her own, with Steven's help of course. Jamie had a room to spare and from there, they became roommates. What could possibly happen?
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is. My first Steven Universe fanfic. A story that was inspired by Frostylicious and their wonderful fanfics starring Jamie and Lapis Lazuli. Hope you like it. Also I do not own Steven Universe, hence the '** **fan-fiction'.**

 **Steven Universe: Roommates**

 **Chapter 1: The Move**

 **oooOOOooo**

Weeks had passed since I decided to stay on earth though every day I found it to be quite difficult to adjust. Things were simply too different here on earth though I knew Homeworld was far worse. Nothing made sense to me anymore as time had changed both culture and technology. Homeworld was too advanced that I could not begin to understand any of their devices much less their rules. It saddened me when I decided to remain here on earth, not because I left my home but because my home no longer existed. There was no going back to something that no longer existed and I simply needed to find residence in this place. I needed to make this planet my new home.

Steven was more than happy to allow me to stay with him along with the rest of the Crystal Gems. Even Peridot took up residence at Steven's house, though she was still wary around the Crystal Gems from what I noticed so far. For example, she refused to play with any one of them except for Steven. I didn't blame her because I was uncomfortable as well when around their presence. Being trapped inside a mirror for years would do that to just about anyone and I was no exception. After a long week of intense thinking, I decided to talk to Steven. I made my mind since the first day but I needed time to figure out rest. I didn't want to discuss this while Garnet, Peal, and Amethyst were around. I made sure to wait until they all were occupied so I could to talk to Steven. Well, Peridot was usually by Steven's side and I didn't care if she was there or not. Unlike the rest of them, she was on the same boat as me. The difference, she attached herself to Steven to the point where she refused to sleep anywhere but his bed.

To me, Steven was a dear friend of mine. The only friend I had on earth. Everyone around him was nice, but most of them did not know that I once stole their precious water so I could make a tower high enough to reach Homeworld. It made me wondered as I took in their kindness, would they begin to despise me? Would I still be welcomed on earth? No. I needed to clear my head of these thoughts.

"Steven!" I said as I drew his attention away from Peridot. "I need to talk to you."

"Lapis! Of course. What's up?" Steven asked as he and Peridot were playing a game of Twister in the living room.

"Well, I know it's pretty sudden and unexpected, but please hear me out." I began as I kneed down to his level, disregarding the fact that his limbs were in all sort of directions while on top of Peridot. "I'm planning to move out. I need to find a place so I could stretch my wings and soar to the sky. Here on earth, I need to find what completes me so I could finally settle down in peace." Was I too abstract? Did he get what I meant?

"Mm, okay. If you like, I could help you find a place here in Beach City. There's bound to be a vacant room somewhere." He said as I smiled. Peridot's head stuck out and with a sour tone, she spoke.

"Not until I beat Steven in this human trivial game!"

She never won a single match despite the number of times she played. I simply watched as Peridot poured out her gem until she exhausted her body.

 **oooOOOooo**

The next morning, Steven began asking everyone in town if they knew of an open room. We spoke to each of them, like the workers at the Donut Shop to the Pizzeria. Despite our best efforts, we were given the same response, no. Steven even asked the mayor of Beach City, though he simply suggested me to stay at one of Beach City's luxurious hotels. Steven explained to me that there were nothing wrong with the rooms there, but it required money that we could not afford. The most the mayor would allow me was a free two days stay. It was no good for me.

We were about to call it a day and returned to his house when we bumped into a mail carrier. I could count the number of times we met despite never having been formally introduced. It was three, if you were to count this moment. Steven ran up to him and greeted him with a unique way that I haven't seen him did with anyone else. They must have a special bond to have greeted each other like that. It made me somewhat envious as I watched them stared at each other with a content look on their faces while they said 'Acting'. If I remembered correctly, there was this show I watched that had two humans performing a gesture very much like this, though it was more elaborate than this.

"Jamie!"

"Steven! Fine day to be at the beach don't you think?" He turned his attention to me and somewhere in me, I felt a ting. It reminded me of the time when Steven healed my gem though it was somewhat different. "And you must be the new resident living at Steven's house. I heard a bit of you from Steven. It's a pleasure to finally meet you milady. Any friend of Steven is a friend of mine. The name's Jamie."

He bowed before me smoothly and I was compelled to do the same. I greeted him with a curtsy with the same amount of zing, if not more, as I introduced myself as Lapis Lazuli. We looked at each other and before I could understand it myself, we began to snicker. It didn't occur to me then, but we instantly clicked.

"Lapis Lazuli...what a beautiful name. I'll be sure to remember that name for our next encounter."

I couldn't help but smiled from his words. He seemed like a very pleasant human.

"So where are you two heading?" The mail carrier, or rather Jamie, said as he eyed at Steven.

"Well, we're looking for a place for Lapis." Steven pointed out as I noticed a confused look on Jamie's face. Still, it quickly disappeared as he returned it to his usual expression.

"Well, since you mentioned it... I do know a place." He began which caught me by surprised as Steven became excited.

"Really? Alright! See Lapis? Where is it? Is it nearby here?"

"Actually, yeah. I was just returning home from delivering the mail in my route so if you two have some time to spare, I could show it to you." Jamie offered. My view on him suddenly changed as I began to feel Steven's enthusiasm.

"That'll be great!"

 **oooOOOooo**

As we walked, Jamie and I naturally began to converse. I knew Steven was between us the entire time, but as we talked, I happened to forget that. Of course he took part in the conversation, but I was mostly focused on Jamie. Jamie mentioned that he was looking to acquire some extra funding by offering his spare bedroom to someone a few months back, but had little to no luck in renting it out. Anyone who arrived at Beach City would usually stay at the luxurious hotels, he said.

When we arrived, Jamie gave us a tour of his place. It was rather small though appealing with its small kitchen, single bathroom, two bedrooms and a linen closet. There was no living room though there was a small space between the door of the house to the staircase and kitchen. The spare bedroom was slightly dirty due to it status of not being used.

"So, what do you think?" Jamie asked me as I stared at the room. The room was not purely tainted by dirt and filth. In fact, with a day worth of cleaning, it may look delightful. As I gave a slow swirl around the room, my eyes landed on a door on the side. The door had not been used for a while, evident by the dust webs around the handle.

"Where does that door lead?" I asked, turning my attention to Jamie. He looked rather surprised for a moment before walking ahead of me.

"That, that would be the door to my room." He opened the door and revealed his bedroom. "The two rooms are connected though I found no use for this room. If it bothers you, I could put a lock to your room."

Considerate would not begin to define Jamie. He really was a nice fellow and I was glad to become well acquainted with a human like him. "No! It's fine. Really." I knew I was a bit anguish but I didn't care. "I don't mind it." I walked back to the room. I could already imagine my life in this room. "I don't."

I turned and I saw both Jamie and Steven's with a slight flushed expression on their faces. Did I do something embarrassing?

"So Jamie, how much for the room?" Steven asked for me as Jamie began to ponder.

"Hm, well... since it's a personal favor from you Steven, how about this? If you managed to clean the room, then the room is yours." He said while his eyes were looking me.

"Really? That's awesome! Thanks Jamie!" Steven exclaimed though I felt like I was getting the better end of the deal. I did not want to take advantage of Steven's friendship with Jamie just so I could acquire a place of my own.

"Is this really alright? You mentioned before that you were looking for additional funding. I don't want to take advantage of you." I said while whispering that last part.

"It's fine, really. Since becoming Lead Director of Beach City Community Theater, I already got enough money to manage on my own. One person would hardly change that."

"Well, if it's fine by you...then looks like we're roommates." I said before I gave him another curtsy. He smiled before meeting my curtsy with a bow. I noticed Steven smiling while we performed our greeting. Although nothing was said, I believed we just made our own unique greeting among ourselves.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **END OF CHAPTER ONE**

 **So what do you think? - _sorrowXdarkness_**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fan-fiction'.**

 **Steven Universe: Roommates**

 **Chapter 2: The Clean Up**

 **oooOOOooo**

From then on, I began living with Jamie as his roommate. He was very kind in helping me clean the room. As predicted, it took most of the evening to finish removing all articles of clothing as well as any trash we came across. The easy part was cleaning every sides of the cubicle dwelling. It took nothing more, but a bucket filled with cleaning agent that Jamie provided and my powers. I manipulated the liquid inside to spread through the room before having it scrubbed very inch of the room. This sort of water manipulation was child's play as I held my eyes closed the entire time; well for the most part. All I needed were my hands as I began giving my roommate a small performance.

When I heard clapping from behind, I peeked and noticed Jamie's expression along with his hands. He seemed to be quite pleased with my performance and I couldn't help myself as I added more flair to it by dancing all around the room, never losing focus on the mixture I was controlling. I extended my arms outward from my body as I performed several spins.

It didn't occur to me at the time, but I would later find out the meaning of my performance as I finally finished with the walls. I ended it by having the water mixture compressed into a simple orb before placing it inside the bucket. With that, I turned to Jamie and found what it felt like receiving many compliments. It felt surprisingly different from when I received them from Steven. He was really the only one that would come forth and praise me like that. Somehow Jamie was doing exactly the same thing to me though differently as I bent down to give a bow. Perhaps I grew too accustomed living with Steven as well as being around him. He really was the closest thing to a human that I interacted other than Connie who was actually human.

"That was spectacular...you were spectacular."

His words made my body vibrated with mirth before speaking. "Really? It wasn't really all that amazing as you made it sound. I can do a lot more than just that."

He looked surprised but spoke nonetheless. "What! Come on! The way you moved gracefully from one side to another without even opening your eyes...seeing you made my heart leaped in excitement. The subtly, the swiftness along with your mystical aura made it the more astonishing to watch. Are you a professional dancer?"

"I don't know about that, but I do like to dance."

"So you must dance a lot then?"

The question reminded me of my captivity. I didn't want to show Jamie any of my sad sides, so I quickly spun around to hide my face. "Not as much as I would like to." I left it as that, then Jamie began talking about himself. It made me wondered if he caught on and simply changed topic to please me. Whatever the reason, I internally thanked him.

He talked about his hobby, which turned out to be acting. He had always been fascinating by the act as a child that it wasn't a surprised to him that he started out as a street performer. Street performers were those who performed their 'acts' in the street rather than in a building, at least that was how Jamie explained them to me. He did it for several years before deciding to leave Beach City to pursue his dream.

Before he could say anymore, Steven came by with a box of my things. His personal tale was so interesting that I was disappointed when it was interrupted just as the excitement was building up within me. I wanted to know how he fared when he left to pursue what he loved to do the most.

"Steven!" Jamie said as Steven walked toward them. "Wait, is that everything?" He asked when he saw how small the box was.

"That's right. That's everything I own." I said as I took the box from Steven. "I got a few books, sea shells and pretty rocks I found on the beach." I said as I placed the box on top of the bed. From there, I gathered all the books and was about to head to the bookcase but Jamie came forth and smiled.

"Please Milady, allow me."

He insisted as he took the books from my hands. "Thank you." I said. I liked the amount of kindness he was showing. It was no wonder that he was friends with Steven. It made me somewhat warm inside the more I thought about it. I tried to distract myself by arranging my collection of sea shells on top of a shelf that was already mounted on the wall.

"Hey guys, I should be going. Pearl and the rest of the gang would get worried if I'm not back home before nightfall."

Oh right. How could I forget? Steven had a curfew to be home before nightfall unless on a mission. Just as I was about to speak up and walk him home, Jamie had beaten me to it.

"Why don't I walk you over there."

"Sure! That'll be awesome!" Steven said.

"I'm coming along as well." I said firmly.

 **oooOOOooo**

We walked back to Steven's house and the chat along the way was even more pleasant than the one we had before. Jamie didn't continue his tale, but that was nothing major as I was pretty sure he would continue at a later time. At least with this conversation, he offered to let me read some of his collections of plays and novels. He even said he wrote a few originals he was planning to transit them into his theater. I read a few stories myself, though mostly what Steven and Connie were interested, but they had this vast magical aspect that allowed my imagination to grow. I was curious in reading a manuscript, especially one that was written by Jamie.

"I hope I could maybe read a few of them. That is, if you're alright with it." I added when I realized how forward I may have sounded. The wind blew suddenly and I felt my dress was ruffling all about. I tried to face away, but then I felt someone's arms around me as they pulled me in. The exhalation of the wind lasted for a few seconds, but once it was over, I opened my eyes.

Jamie had his hold on me, but softly let go. There was an air of tension between us, but that didn't stop me from letting out with a soft tone, a simple thank you.

"You're welcome. We better hurry, the sun already disappeared." He said as I nodded. I couldn't help but noticed the look Steven had when that happened. Was there something he wanted to say?

Just as we arrived in front of Steven's door to his house, the said door opened with Peridot jumping forward to us. She seemed angry for some reason as she looked at each one of us before focusing her sight on Steven.

"You! You said we'll have a re-match today but you didn't bother to wake me up for it."

"I'm sorry Peridot. I didn't forget, honest. It just that when I saw you asleep in my bed, you looked so cute with the expression you had on your face. I didn't want to disturb your dream."

Peridot was taken back but let out a small cough before composing herself. "Right, well I forgive you. Now come on, or else we'll miss the new installment of those crying food you call friends." Peridot began pushing Steven inside.

"You mean 'Crying Breakfast Friends!'. Bye and goodnight Jamie and Lapis!" Steven said as he began waving his hand as he was pushed further into the house.

"Goodbye and goodnight." "Goodbye and goodnight to you Steven! Thanks again!"

Just as we closed the door and left, I heard Peridot's voice. "Where is she going?" I smiled as Jamie and I were walking by the quiet shoreline.

"It's beautiful...the sight of the ocean in the night. The only sound to be heard is the surprisingly soft bellow from the waves."

Jamie's talk about the ocean reminded me of when I stole the ocean to make a tower long enough for me to return home. Back then, my gem was damaged and I couldn't activate my wings. Even though Steven healed my gem and I returned the ocean to everyone, I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for my actions.

"So as I was saying before, I decided to follow my dream and took a trip to Kansas." Jamie began his story from where he left off.

"Jamie." I said interrupting the very story I was excited to hear. There was something that needed to come out from my chest. "I'm sorry, but there's something I need to tell you."

"Sure, what is it?"

I wasn't sure on where I should begin so I began from where Pearl gave me to Steven. Back then, I was a mirror or rather trapped inside a mirror. I knew that Jamie would be confused by the amount of information I was suddenly providing. I tried to keep it as simple as possible but I knew Jamie had many questions on his mind.

"But, what I want to tell you most is that when I finally got out...I really wanted to go home. Home was really the only thing I had on my mind. And I cou-"

"Lapis." His voice interrupted me as I felt his fingers caressing my face.

"Huh?" I was on the verge on crying as he brushed the small amount of water droplets forming below my eyes. I felt him pulling me in as he held me close. Nothing was said as the waves from the ocean drew in passed our legs. The water was a nice feeling as they soaked our feet back and forth. The water also helped in softening the sands below us as they made nice cushions.

"You don't have to tell me right away..." He whispered to my ear before I lifted my face from his chest. "We're roommates after all so there's plenty of time to learn about each other. So why not call it a day and save our stories for another time. Hm?" He gave me one of those reassuring smiles that I had seen on the television.

"Okay."

It didn't occur to me until we got back to Jamie's house, but we were holding hands the entire time. It made me smile as we went inside and Jamie began cooking. I told him I didn't eat.

"You don't?"

"No, the gem on my back provides all the energy I need. So there's no reason for me to eat."

"Well, can you at least taste a sample? I'm making pasta and pasta is my specialty." He seemed proud of his ability to make food.

"Well, I guess I could..." I would usually decline when Steven or Connie offered me something like 'cookies', 'peanut butter and jelly sandwich' and so forth. Though with Jamie, I made the effort to try something at least once.

"Great! Besides, there's more to food than just eating to acquire energy." He said as he began dressing up for the occasion. He wore a chef hat and an apron before starting the fire on the stove.

That night, I finally understood what was the big deal in eating different foods. Once I took a bite, I couldn't help but ask for more. Jamie prepared a second plate before he sat down, watching me as I ate his pasta. It felt embarrassing, but that didn't stop me from chowing down on some delicious pasta with meat. He simply smiled before taking a bite out of his own creation.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake**

Just as we were about to leave to go to Steven's house, Jamie stopped. He began taking off his sandals before walking out bare-foot. He smiled at both Steven and I as I spoke.

"Why did you take off your sandals?" I asked.

"I'm curious how it would feel walking like you do." He stared down at my feet.

 **-End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **END OF CHAPTER TWO**

 **Sorry it took so long. Let me know what you think. _-sorrowXdarkness_**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fan-fiction'.**

 **Steven Universe: Roommates**

 **Chapter 3: Habits**

 **oooOOOooo**

A few days had passed since I decided to move out. The gems were surprised by the suddenness of my departure from Steven's home but after a brief explanation, everyone was alright with it. Pearl initially gave her disapproval and felt we should keep to ourselves rather than to connect with the locals. Honestly, I felt there were some underlying feelings for her protest that she had yet to sort out. Luckily Steven was there to pour his opinion and despite his age, he was quite the charismatic spokesperson.

I agreed with everything he said. We should make the effort to connect with the people we were defending to better understand them. They were already on their way with understanding us, especially Connie and Greg. Jamie seemed fine with my presence in his home.

We even started a pastime together which involved us watching old films from the previous century or even television series around those eras. The only room that had a television was his bedroom and I would go there and wait as he prepared the small snacks. He always let me pick out the movie as he already seen them countless of times except for the first time.

When he returned, we would sit together on the floor using the side of the bed as our wall to support our backs. Hours would go by as we watched many wonders produced by humans of the last century and how they managed before their technological advancements in the recent years. It was common for us to stay awake past midnight.

To be fairly honest, this habit of ours started the first night I began living there. Despite the best of efforts, I couldn't force myself to sleep and enter the vast space known as the dream realm. I tossed and turned to better position myself, but nothing. It wasn't until I heard a knock on my door that a solution presented itself to me. Jamie. He stood by the hallway, in his sleeping attire with something in his hand.

"Hey, I figured since this is your first night living here. You might be having some trouble sleeping." He began, looking at me for a moment before continuing. "If I'm wrong, then I'm sorry for disrupting your sleep."

I stepped forward and thanked him. I confided to him that I felt restless and unable to sleep. He lifted his hand to show me that he had a VHS tape of an old movie he loved. Before I knew it, we were sitting down in his room and watched until the hand struck past 2 in the morning. The movie was drawing to an end and once the credits rolled in, I fell asleep. When I awoke, I found myself in my room already tugged in bed and in great spirit. To think, hours ago I couldn't sleep a wink. So it was natural that we continued and I loved ever moment of it.

I told Jamie that I would make the popcorn next time as I seen him doing it a number of times before. So far, I loved my time here as Jamie's roommate. I would spend the time cleaning which wasn't much thanked to my powers and from there, I would go to the beach. So much could be spent in the beach, and with Steven nearby, there was a sense of guarantee that it would be a fun day there.

Today, I awaited for Jamie's arrival so we could do the usual and partake in watching classic movies. Night had already appeared in the sky so he should be returning from his last stop soon. Then suddenly, I heard a few knocks on the door and went to see who it was.

"Peridot?"

She seemed to be annoyed to say the very least. "Lapis Lazuli, I need to talk to you." She then barged herself to Jamie's home while muttering something to herself.

"Um, what is it that you want to talk about?" She walked into the kitchen as I followed her.

"It's Steven!" Peridot revealed before continuing with her muttering. Was this what Pearl meant by "temper tantrum"?

"What about Steven? Is he alright?" I asked worriedly. I did not receive a notification of a mission today.

"Who cares! I know I don't." She began kicking the cabinet in Jamie's kitchen.

"Peridot! Please! You don't have to do that. Talk to me...what happened?" I placed my hands on her shoulders and tried to steer her away from the cabinets.

"Why does he need to hang out with those inferior humans anyway? I'm way better than anyone of them...right?"

"Peridot, please...start in the beginning." I managed to get her to sit down on a chair.

Today, Peridot was hoping to go with Steven to the arcade. She even saved enough coins that she found to use in the machines there. All she had to do was invite Steven, but before she could, Connie came by with tickets to see Dog Copter 4: The Return of Dog and Copter. Her plan for today was ruined in a matter of seconds. To make it worse, Steven was so excited to go with Connie and Peridot simply walked out.

After that, Peridot let out a deep breath. I wasn't sure what to say at the moment. I knew that Steven had a thing with Connie, and I believed she too for him. I also believed that Peridot may have a thing for Steven. It would explain everything. She spent most of her time with Steven and had the tendency to latched herself to his arm. What could I say? Peridot spoke before I could.

"Lapis Lazuli... what do you think of the human Jamie?"

The question really came out of nowhere. Why was she curious about Jamie?

"He's great...best roommate I could ever hope for." I said and I noticed something changed in her expression.

"What makes this Jamie so great? Does he provide you with everything you require?"

"Well, I won't say it quite like that. He looks out for me...like during my first night there, he knew I was having trouble sleeping and made me feel better by watching a movie together with him."

"So he has a keen sense of observation. Anything else? Like relating to knowledge..."

"Well, he knows a lot about acting..." I began but hen she quickly turned her head.

"Useless. How can someone be great while being so insignificant."

"He is not insignificant." I said firmly. Peridot eyes widened by my reaction.

"That's what I mean...Steven finds this Connie interesting and significant, disregarding someone who truly deserves it, me!" I was getting slightly irritated by Peridot and her close-mindedness. "I need to go." She said before leaving. She pushed the door opened and ran out. In a way, I was glad she was gone. Anymore and I might have said something I might regret.

"Was that Peridot?" A voice said, entering inside. It was Jamie and he had his hand on his face. I wondered why?

"That's right. What's wrong?" He removed his hand and his nose was slightly red.

"Nothing, had a run-in with a screen door. What's wrong with her?" Jamie said, gesturing behind. Should I mention Jamie about Peridot's poor view on the humans?

"Well...she wanted to talk with me about a problem she's having." That should be fine, I thought as I stared at his nose. It varied slightly to what it was before and its seemed to be causing a slight discomfort to Jamie.

"Hopefully, everything will work out." Jamie said. It was sweet of Jamie despite the fact that Peridot caused him pain. I reached out to him and placed my hand on his nose. What Peridot said about him was wrong. I used my powers to ease his pain, which appeared as a small glow under my hand. It disappeared once I removed my hand.

"You're not insignificant." I mustered before heading to the kitchen. Before I got there, I heard him spoke.

"Huh?"

That was something else I liked about Jamie.

 **oooOOOooo**

I must have fallen asleep because when I came to, I was being carried to my room. I knew it was Jamie, I could tell by the smell I got as I rested my head on his chest. Whenever we watched movies together, I leaned toward Jamie's shoulder. That way, I could take in his scent along with his warmth. Perhaps it was his presence that was easing my strain. Once I felt my mattress on my backside, I brought my hands to feel Jamie's face once more before going to sleep.

"You're the best roommate ever..."

I didn't realize the effect it had on Jamie until much later on. Now that I thought about it, I wouldn't have been so "handful" if I was completely awake and aware. Still, Jamie detached himself from my hands and quietly left my room. My eyes were closed by that time though I felt him gone and closed the door.

Maybe Peridot's problem was that she lacked human interactions. The only human she mostly had been with was Steven, despite the fact he was only half-human. She needed to see other people for what they were worth. An idea appeared before me right before I arrived at the land of slumbers.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake-**

"Huh? What?" Lapis asked after someone woke her up. Jamie stood over her, shaking her arm until she was somewhat conscious.

"Sorry, but you haven't brush your teeth for the night."

To put it simple, Jamie woke her up and reminded her that she still needed to brush her teeth. She did just that though was absentminded throughout the entire time. Jamie made sure to oversee her actions as she brushed her teeth and returned to bed.

"Still awake?" Jamie asked, seeing her head bobbling a bit. He received only a soft groan as she spat out the content in her mouth. From there, she walked to her bed though she was staggering to get there. Fortunately Jamie caught her in time before she could fall head first on the frame of the bed.

"I got you..." He helped her in bed and made sure to cover her snugly with her blanket. "Goodnight Lapis."

 **-End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Hoped you like it! - _sorrowXdarkness_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter 4 of Roommates. Surprisingly, I had more trouble in coming up with a name for this chapter than its content. Sorry for the long delay. I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fan-fiction'.**

 **Chapter 4: Let's See What Happen**

"Make sure she is wearing her leash at all times. Even if, she complains about the tightness. She also knows not to cause any disturbance to you or to anyone else. If you have any problem, then you can reach Steven and he'll inform me." Garnet said before giving Jamie the leash connecting to Peridot's harness.

I wasted no time in speaking to the Crystal Gems about my idea. Before the sun could make its appearance, I went to Steven's house to speak to them. I mostly spoke to Garnet who agreed with the idea. Peridot needed to interact with more people other than Steven. Pearl came up with the leash for Jamie. Unlike the previous one, it had a button that would send a small current of electricity to her neck. It wouldn't cause any damage to her gem, though it would cause her pain and discomfort.

"Thanks...is this really necessary?" He asked, a bit confused with the set-up. His eyes were fixated on the leash on his hand. It would be weird for just about anyone, but I knew that Peridot tend to be an annoyance if left 'unattended'. Still, I believed Jamie was up for the task.

"Very necessary." Garnet said before waving goodbye. "Good luck."

"Okay. Well today we only have only 27 stops so we should be done before nightfall. Let me know if you need to take a break, okay Peridot?" I heard Jamie said while Peridot scoffed.

"Please, all you do is walk and deliver messages. Even an infant gem can do something like that."

I smiled as they began their walk. I hoped Peridot would get something out of this trip.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Why do you insist in walking so slow! We would have been done by now if we picked up the pace." Peridot argued. Two hours went by and they only just finished their tenth spot thus far. Still, her main concern was the pain in her gravity connectors. Before today, never did she need to walk so much. To think that he did this sort of routine five days straight.

"Peridot, the next stop is by the ice-cream parlor. Once there, I'll buy you a scope and we'll take a 5 minutes break." Jamie figured out fairly quick that Peridot was not too honest with anyone or to herself. She reminded him of someone he met during his short time at Kansas; Daisy. Unlike the flower that bear the same name, Daisy was strictly covered in thorns. When she wasn't acting, she had an attitude that made just about anyone a saint. When she was tired, she would place the blame on the stage crew for not leveling the floor correctly. If she was sweating, she would blame them for not turning up the air conditioning. They had a role for the same television series. What a mess, thought Jamie. The entire time, she was making sure the mistakes fell on him.

"Jamie..."

She acted nice at first, simply so he would trust her when she said they changed the time for when they would do the recording and pretended she did no such thing. It left a bitter feeling in Jamie as she left her impression on his heart, and made him more weary of other women. Even now, he was feeling it.

"Jamie!" He felt a tug from behind that nearly tripped him. Peridot was pulling with all of her might.

"Sorry! I got too caught up with something." He apologized as he realized they walked past the ice-cream parlor.

"You humans are so unpredictable. You said one thing and do something else." She said as he continued to apologize. They went inside and Jamie gave Mr. Frost the daily letters. Peridot was astonished by the numbers of different ice-creams they had. She asked Jamie the name of each one she pointed at. Each one made the sparkle in her eyes to brighten. If she had a tail, it would be wagging tremendously in excitement. It would make it easier to understand how she really felt.

"Have you decided yet?" They already spent three minutes with simply Peridot's asking the names of each ice-cream.

"There has to be a way to pick out one sole ice-cream." She pondered in frustration.

Jamie knew that Peridot was quick to get frustrated which fueled her temper. He needed to do something before it was too late.

"Why don't I pick one for you to try. That way, you can blame me if you don't like it."

Peridot turned to Jamie and was pleased with his suggestion. Jamie smiled, she did remind him of Daisy. Jamie took a quick glance until he spotted one that reminded him of Peridot. "She'll have this one Jack." He told the owner as the owner scooped up the designated ice-cream into a waffle cone before presenting it to the eager Peridot.

After they left, Peridot was in a better mood as she licked the ice-cream given to her. Jamie provided her instructions as to how she should digest the sweet treat. "What did the owner call this particular ice-cream?"

"Mint chocolate chip ice-cream." He said as they arrived at the next stop. They reached their 21st stop when Peridot finished everything, including the cone.

"I can't believe how nourishing that ice-cream was." Peridot commented.

"That's good." Jamie smiled at her comment. Peridot noticed it before looking down.

"Yes, well...thank you for the ice-cream."

 **oooOOOooo**

"Do you think they're alright?" Lapis inquired to Pearl as they folded several of Steven's shirt. Lapis arrived half an hour ago as Pearl was in the midst of doing laundry. She offered her services as they both chatted among themselves. Amethyst left to visit a friend and Garnet was on a solo mission. Both gems were worried about similar reasons.

Lapis started out by listening to Pearl's worries. Being her usual self that resembled a mother, Pearl was particularly concerned of Steven and his date with Connie. She wanted to accompany them in order to make sure nothing went wrong during the date. Steven was firm in not wanting Pearl to be there with them. She was complaining that he was pushing her away. She mentioned that he already prohibited her from watching him sleep and now felt unnecessary.

Lapis wanted to point out Pearl's slight obsession though decided not to in the end. At least Pearl was easy to talk to when compared to Amethyst or Garnet. Somehow, they began to talk about her worries. Even when she felt that Jamie would be alright, there was something within her that gave room to doubt. What was that exactly? Lapis had no clue.

"If you really that concern about it, why not check on them? Jamie's route is within the town, right? It wouldn't take that long to go see them?"

Pearl made a valid point. There was nothing wrong about seeing them quickly. Still, maybe Lapis should leave it to Jamie. Still, she wanted Peridot to understand that humans were not to be taken lightly.

"No, I should believe in Jamie. After all, he's my roommate." Lapis smiled. Pearl returned the smile as they finished. Pearl was really easy to talk to.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Two more spots and then we'll be done." Jamie said as the day was in the middle of setting. The clouds above them seemed to be departing. Today, they encountered a dog that escaped from his leash. Unfortunately for them, the dog was aggressive and hostile. As they ran away, Peridot tripped and fell. The dog would have gotten her if Jamie hadn't appeared in front of her. Using a stick, he allowed the dog to bite down on it and then shoved him to the side. As the dog was distracted with the stick, Jamie picked up Peridot and quickly ran away.

After they got far enough, Jamie decided to put Peridot down though upon doing so, Peridot dropped down to the ground in pain. She injured herself when she tripped during the dog chase. Deciding what was best, he began to carry her on his shoulders. As long as he avoided the ankle, she would be fine. Peridot didn't seem to mind as she was astonished by the given height. She could see far more ahead than she used to. It helped that she was light-weight and small.

The last two stops were child's play compared to the dog. The owner from the last spot was kind enough to give each of them a cup of lemonade. The drink was refreshing. It felt extra good as the amount of efforts they gave made the drink well deserved.

As Jamie continued walking and carrying, Peridot's mind was occupied by what transpired. Aside from not being Steven, Jamie was pleasant to be around. He gave her new experiences and was kind all around. He even protected her from a weird earth creature known as a "dog". She looked down at Jamie before returning her sights on the bright sun that was displayed on the side of the beach. The warmth continued to be felt despite the sun departing. It was a really nice feeling.

 **oooOOOooo**

The front door made a sound as someone was unlocking the door. Lapis quickly ran downstairs to greet the person. After helping with the laundry, Lapis returned and read a book from his collection. Upon arriving at the door, she saw an exhausted mail carrier, with a smile on his face. Peridot was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened to Peridot?"

"Well, seeing that she fell asleep... I decided to drop her off home." Jamie said as he closed the door and dropping his bag. Lapis examined him and noticed a few marks that weren't there. His hair was slightly ruffled as it lost some of its sleekness. Jamie noticed her looking, and quickly reply that it wasn't Peridot's doing.

He explained that they came across a loose dog that decided to attack them. They were fortunate enough to run away before things got worse. Lapis walked with Jamie as they made their way to the kitchen. Lapis offered to make a quick snack though Jamie said that he was going to make coffee. As he made the coffee, a thought occurred to Lapis.

"Could you teach me how to make coffee?"

"Sure. It's pretty simple."

 **oooOOOoo**

Once they arrived to their respective beds, Lapis realized that she failed to ask how it went with Peridot. She got up and arrived at the door to his room when she realized that it may be too late for today. He may be already asleep and it would be rude to wake him up. Just as she was going back to her room, the door to Jamie's opened.

"Lapis, is something the matter? I could hear you walking by my door."

"Yes, well...sorry. I forgot to ask you how it went with Peridot. I didn't want to wake up. Not after a long day of work." She said sheepishly as she rubbed her arm.

"It's perfectly fine. If you need something, no matter what, you welcome to ask."

Lapis nodded as she felt a tug in her chest. His words were noted by her gem, as believed by Lapis. She walked into his room and both of them sat on his bed. Jamie explained what he believed. Peridot was rude and dishonest.

"I'm sorry. It was my idea to have her accompany while you're working. If I have know-"

Jamie assured her that Peridot was no trouble. "In fact, she was pleasant to be around with. Well, after I figured out how to deal with her." He smiled. Lapis was surprised by this though was content that her plan did not bother Jamie in the slightest.

 **oooOOOooo**

The next morning when Jamie was about to head out for his daily delivery, a knock at the door was heard. Lapis went to the door and opened it to see who it was while Jamie was tying his shoes. There standing by the doorway, was Peridot.

"Peridot? What are you doing here? And so early in the morning?"

"What do you mean? The human Jamie delivers those 'mails' during the weekdays, right? I'm going to join him in his delivery indefinitely." She stated so factually.

"What?!" "Huh?"

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake-**

"Where's Peridot?" Steven asked when he awoke. Last night, Peridot spoke of nothing, but her time with Jamie. She made it sound like an adventurous journey as they went to delivery the mail. There was a dog that appeared out of nowhere and they barely escaped with their lives. She also mentioned of a treasure that was ice-cream and how she loved the taste of Mint chocolate chip ice-cream. She spent a good time in telling her story.

"She left to go to Jamie's house."

"Huh? Really?"

 **-End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **End of Chapter 4**

 **Please let me know what you think!- _sorrowXdarkness_**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the fan-fiction. _-sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 5: Intruder**

 **oooOOOooo**

Today would mark the fourth day that Peridot joined Jamie in his routine delivery. I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me. It did. Probably since the first day. Why? It was my idea to have Peridot go with Jamie. Still, I only planned for it to be a one-time thing. Merely so she could start to understand the capabilities that resided in humans. Perhaps so she could start interacting with other humans. I didn't expect her to continue with it, I thought as I rested on my bed. In the morning to the afternoon, I felt completely bored. No, that wasn't quite it. I could always go outside and find something to do, but I didn't. Cleaning was not tedious as it should; my powers made sure of that.

Maybe I should take a nap? I knew it wasn't necessary, though maybe a dram could remove this boredom that had afflicted me. I took in the nice smell of my pillow before exhaling. Suddenly, an idea occurred to me.

 **oooOOOooo**

"So, have you try talking to Connie? You know, so you could understand her."

"Why should I? It's clear that I'm the better of the two. I just don't understand exactly why Steven is so fixated on her. Maybe she got something of value...and could be using it to manipulate Steven's actions. It would seem to be the plausible explanation."

Jamie looked at Peridot. For someone who claimed to be intelligent, she was but an infant when it came with people. "Peridot, simply because you are better than Connie does not mean Steven would pick you over her." He stated.

"What? Why not?"

"Well...how do I explain it..." Jamie pondered and then began to look around. Maybe something nearby could provide him with insight. He spotted a nearby musician. An idea popped into his head. "Follow me." Jamie said. Peridot followed him as they made it through the boardwalk.

 **oooOOOooo**

Lapis did it. As she rested there, and inhaled the alluring scent of chestnuts, she leaked out a smile. She shifted her head through the pillow, rubbing her face against the soft fabric; the warmth was there. With a combination of friction and her body, the pillow became a warmth emitting device. Sleep was easily accomplished, though she resisted; even if it was for a bit longer. She became drowsy as she found herself struggling to keep her eyes opened. It was then that she made a rapid discovery. If she closed her eyes, the scent became alarmingly distinct. It was almost as if the person was there beside her, as before. When they were alone, watching classic films late at night, she made it a habit to lean her head toward his shoulder. It was from that where Lapis learned of his scent. It was a pleasant smell; very pleasant indeed.

"Jamie..."

 **oooOOOooo**

"I don't believe it!"

"Believe it. Consider it a lesson from me." Jamie said, happy with the outcome. Even if Peridot seemed to be annoyed, at least the idea presented itself to her. Now, there was no way she could ignore something like that.

"Why? I mean, you already explained it to me, but I'm still unable to process this information."

"Well, let's start from the top. What happened?" Jamie insisted. To start from the beginning, Jamie hoped to get Peridot's to slowly pass the information to her mind. The last thing he wanted was for her to throw it out.

"You approach a human with a wave-frequency manipulator device and offered to give him the latest one in return of his current one. It was outdated, evident by the amount of damage it withstood."

"That's right, though you're still missing something. Remember what that man said about his guitar?"

"Of course. It was given to him by another and he was too stubborn to part with it. My question is, why? If you can get a better one, why would you want to stick with a previous model? It doesn't make sense."

"Would you replace Steven, if someone better than him appeared before you?"

Peridot quickly turned her head to Jamie and with a higher tone and volume than before, she spoke. "Of course not! Do you have any idea what Steven did for m-" Peridot stopped when she noticed the look Jamie had on his face. "What?"

"That's it. That feeling you had just now is why. You won't let go of Steven because you cherish him. The same goes for the musician. He loves his guitar and would not trade it in for a better one."

"So Steven cherishes the human Connie?"

"Exactly. Even if you are better than her, Steven does not care. Connie is a very important person to him."

"I see..." Peridot said with an indeterminate expression. Her eyes settled on a flower. Jamie noticed the sudden shift in Peridot's behavior and added one more thing into the mix.

"Still, even if Connie is an important person to Steven, so are you. After all, you wouldn't be here without him. Right?" He gave a reassuring smile as he focused his attention on Peridot.

Peridot gave it a quick thought. "Right." She gave a small smile. "Thanks Jamie."

They continued with his delivery. Soon, they could call it a day and return home.

 **oooOOOooo**

Lapis woke up from a wonderful dream. It seemed that sleeping in other people's bed was different to sleeping in one's own mattress. Was it the size? The location? The lighting? The smell? Lapis was not sure, though smell seemed to be close to the answer as she could get. It was no wonder how easily she could fall asleep by Jamie's side. There was no hesitation, discomfort, or menacing aura. It was relaxing to say the least, as she shifted her body through the blanket. If possible, she wouldn't mind sleeping where she was now. She, without much thought, turned to look at the vacant spot next to her. This bed was big enough for both of them, and even though Jamie had multiple opportunities to see her sleeping face, she had not. She tried to imagine his sleeping face, but became frustrated in how unrealistic it was. Even with her best efforts, it lacked something. Something that could make it real. Oh, what she would give to have a genuine image of Jamie asleep, with his face clear to her. She would be sure to store it deep in her mind though easily accessible so she could retrieve it at any moment. Her legs shifted, stretching as far as they could before Lapis lifted her body up from the mattress.

Though reluctant, she pushed herself off the bed and began to make the bed. Just as she finished, she heard a door opening. Realization struck her rather hard. Jamie was coming and she was in his room. She quickly made her way to her room through the door that connected their rooms before shaking her head of any lingering anxiety. Once done, she walked out and pretended that she was in her room just now. Just as she was about to call out his name while descending the stairs, she found Jamie standing there, though not alone. Peridot walked ahead of him as Jamie closed the door.

"Peridot? How was today's delivery?"

"It was surprisingly insightful." Peridot said as she turned to Jamie. Jamie smiled as if he understood what she was saying. Lapis noticed the look and instantly felt left out.

"So what brings you here today?" Lapis said trying to distract the two. She placed her hands together and by her chest when she asked.

"Well, I figured I could stop by and talk to Jamie for a bit longer."

"She asked and I found no reason to refuse her. I also don't have work tomorrow or Sunday." Jamie said though Lapis had her attention on Peridot who was checking out the place without restricts. She appeared in the kitchen, by the stairs, by the corridor, and by Jamie. She was all over the place until Jamie spoke out.

"I'm making dinner! So be sure to behave Peridot!"

"Okay!" Peridot said as she continued to look around. Lapis was by the stair-rail, as she stared intensely at the intruder as she made her way to the bathroom. Why? Why was it that Lapis felt a stinging pain when she saw Peridot?

 **oooOOOooo**

 **END OF CHAPTER 5**

 **Omake-**

"Hm? You're worried about Peridot?" Connie asked. Both Steven and Connie were having a picnic by the beach. Once there, Connie noticed how reserved Steven was and how his mind was occupied.

"Yeah. Lately, she's joining Jamie in his deliveries and I heard she was doing fine."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah, but knowing her...maybe I should go over there..."

"I'm sure she's fine. Jamie and Lapis are there with her. No matter what, I'm sure they can handle it."

"Yeah..." He said as he smiled at Connie. Connie did the same before passing him a sandwich.

 **-End of Omake**

 **Let me know what you think! _-sorrowXdarkness_**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the fan-fiction. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 6: Conjoined Hands**

 **oooOOOooo**

Once everything was settled, they took their seat in their respective spots. The television began playing the selected motion picture classic, as Jamie's eyes were on Lapis; particularly her face. Her mood was better than it was before. Two hours ago, she held a surprisingly stern and angry look while they were having dinner. It took him by surprise as he realized the sudden shift in her mood as they converse around the table. Still, it took no genius to figure out the reason behind the shift; simply account for what was new, or rather, different from any other day. The answer came to him intuitively as he turned his attention to the source affecting Lapis' mood. She sat there, unaware of Lapis' mood as she left her mouth ajar; all while bantering, or what Jamie considered her attempt in performing a light conversation. The food resembled a pile of mulch, as she chewed and talked. Peridot was enjoying the dinner prepared by Jamie with much enthusiasm, unlike Lapis who kept her fork on the plate while hovering it around. The talk was mostly about what happened today, and it was directed toward Lapis.

As Peridot spoke, some of the 'mulch' spewed and landed on Lapis' face. Just before Lapis could say something, Jamie intervened. He spoke out, telling Peridot that it was extremely rude to eat and talk at the same time. As expected, confusion appeared and spread on her face until what Jamie said made sense to her. She corrected her behavior and quickly apologized as she commented that Steven mentioned numerous times of her faulty habit. It took Lapis by surprise by how cooperative Peridot was being. It took hold of her attention as her awareness plummeted. She failed to realize the napkin being brought to her face as Jamie spoke.

"You got something on your face." The napkin was slightly moist as it moved across the side of her cheek. The small splatter of food disappeared as Lapis' face turned into a dark hue of blue. She thanked Jamie for the kind gesture. He smiled, the potential crisis was averted. Lapis then began to eat the meal as the fork finally left the plate. The food arrived to her mouth before her lips sealed the entrance as she chewed. Her lips were a darker hue of blue compared to her skin; they could well be sapphire as her skin was like sky blue. Jamie turned away, realizing that he was fixated on her lips. Not good. He returned to listen to Peridot, in the hope of distracting himself of those sensual lips.

Returning to the present time, Jamie mentally scolded himself for ever thinking of it. Those lips were quite inviting though he shouldn't be sucked into such things again. Even if it was Lapis, his heart still bore the mark of the unforgettable time he had when he was at Kansas; when he met Daisy. Like Lapis, she had a beauty that attracted many. It was not surprising that he found himself staring at her direction. Despite her rough personality, she was very pleasant to look at. When she pretended to be kind, Jamie allowed himself to be fooled so he could indulge in his fantasy. It was his greatest sin as he misled his heart throughout the entire time that he was with Daisy. The only form of repentance he did, was his departure. Any more delusions, and he may lose track of himself. Daisy was simply entertaining herself as she played the role of the ideal woman to him.

Still, Peridot had a good memory as she recounted everything that occurred in a systematic format. It was then that Peridot mentioned something that attracted Lapis' attention, along with Jamie's. She just finished with her story, and spoke for a bit of what she learned. The word 'cherish', and how Steven felt about Peridot. As Jamie pointed out, Steven did cherish her. He wouldn't have done all that, simply out of pure obligations.

"What about you? Do you cherish me?" She asked as she had her attention on Jamie. "I mean, you protected me from that 'dog', gave me 'ice-cream', and 'carried me home'... so I'm curious. Do you cherish me?" Peridot asked, with the same curiosity found in children. They have questions to be answered and they would usually seek adults to provide them that satisfaction of knowing. Jamie pondered of what sort of answer would be both adequate and appropriate.

"Are you mad at me?"

Jamie shook his head as he stared at the person whom reached out with her voice to get his attention. Lapis had a concerned look in her eyes as she looked into his. There was an inch or two between them as she had her legs pulled close to her body; her knees were high enough to support her head. Jamie then watched the television before he spoke.

"I'm not mad, just surprised. I don't think I ever saw you like this before. You had this alarming presence when you stood up. I could feel the anxiety traveling through my spine." He didn't turn around. Lapis dropped her head to her knees though did nothing to cover her face with her arms. They were still embracing her legs as she kept them there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin dinner for you. You worked hard. You usually do."

"Lapis...why did you get like that?"

"Honestly... I'm not too sure. Even now, I'm embarrassed for my behavior though also confused. She did nothing wrong, yet I tried to punish her. I'm a bad person...a bad roommate. I'm sorry Jamie."

"I admit, what you did was rude and uncalled for, but that does not make you a bad person. After all, I still want you as a roommate."

Lapis looked up again, and was met with a foolish smile from Jamie. She returned the smile, as she thanked him. "I should apologize again."

"Tomorrow, and I'll be there with you. So don't fret." Both of them had the same idea as their hands met in the middle. Upon contact, they formed an interlocked connection as Lapis leaned toward him.

"I LOVED YOU! I ALWAYS LOVED YOU. EVEN NOW, I CONTINUE TO LOVE YOU. SO DON'T GO AROUND SAYING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE LOVED WHEN YOU ALREADY ARE!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I wished I could've known sooner. Look at you, bruised and cracked."

"Even a cracked mirror can give a good impression of what you are."

They kissed, and kissed. Their lips made all efforts to connect with the other person's though it wasn't enough. They continued to move side to side, changing the angle and shifting them to satisfy this sudden drought. Her arms pulled his head closer as he pushed her back. They moved and moved, until they made it to the couch. Their lips departed as they traveled to different locations of their partner's body. Her hands yanked down on his shirt, breaking a button or two in the process, though neither one care much about it. He untangled her hair as they spread on the cushion of the sofa. There was still plenty of light to see the other person's eyes. They looked at each other for a moment, gazing at their eyes before resuming. It became pitch black though their noise could still be heard. It was magically possible to imagine the touch of his hands as she reacted positively to them.

The movie finally ended as Jamie and Lapis stared with their eyes wide apart. Something clicked inside them both as the heart that each one possessed made a surprise beat. Unlike the regular beats made by the heart, this was an irregular beat; louder than the rest and easily detected.

 _Thud-Thud_

There it was again. The credit rolled halfway through until Jamie turned off the television. It didn't occur to him that he selected such a movie until that scene appeared. His mind was too caught up from what happened before and he was curious in how Lapis reacted from the scene. It was a masterpiece to say the least, though perhaps a bit too much to someone like her. Still, he had seen this movie numerous of times, though never like that. In the past, he praised the actors for their performance, the director, camera operator and so forth, but today was different. He did not view that movie as a passionate actor, writer, director, or anything relating to the art. Lapis finally moved as she gave her honest review. The movie moved her in a way that none of the movies they saw did. This movie core focus was on Love, and how they tried to define it. It invigorated her as she made many comments on the actress that played the heroine as well as the actor that played the hero,

"I see...that's good. I was worried that this movie may have been too much to handle..."

"No... I'm glad you picked this movie." Their hands were still locked together. No one made the first move to get up. When he turned off the television, the only source of light was from the moon that glowed in the dark. It cast its brightness through the window and bestowed a mysterious veil upon each of them. It reminded them of the movie they just watched and how it ended; bringing them both up from the ground as they quickly wished the other goodnight and distanced themselves from the other. They failed to detach their conjoined hands as they were pulled back to each other. They noticed their hands still stuck together and gave a sheepish laugh.

"We should probably let go now..." Lapis said as she looked at their hands.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"No, not at all."

They finally let go as their once combined hands were left unattended. "Goodnight...again."

"Yeah, goodnight." Jamie said as Lapis left his room.

He looked down at his hand. He could see the palm of his hand now and how empty it felt. It was a feeling he knew all too well. Lapis arrived to her room as she dropped down to her mattress. She had her face on her pillow as she gave a muffled scream. Her mind was too stuck to the movie. When the movie was done, she was expecting Jamie to do the same as the actor did and that she would do the same as the actress. Why? They were roommates and even good friends. So why did she had that thought in her mind?

After letting out a few muffled and mixed screams, she lifted her head from the pillow. She dropped down again though on her back this time as she stared at the ceiling. She brought up her hand to the air, and looked at it. It felt warm, still does, though now it felt lacking. She wanted to hold his hand again.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake-**

Daisy checked her phone for any updates. Nothing. One month and still not a single role. She had been going to interviews after interviews, and not once did she get a call-back. Was she not worthy? No. It was them. They failed to realize her greatness and that was their loss. She threw her phone, it landed on the sofa as she stormed to her kitchen. There was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink as she opened the microwave door. She took out a cup of noodles and set it to the side while covering it up. She was tired of eating cheap microwaveable food. She began to remember when she was eating actual food prepared with much time and patience as any decent chef could prepare. He was the perfect handyman she ever had, among the bunch of men that served her. Every one of them thought that they were in a relationship with her, even him. They were wrong. To her, they were nothing more, but people to serve her. They were below her, as she was particularly designed by the Heaven above to be much more. Still, that guy was something. She never tried to remember any one of their names, but he was different. He was a sweet guy. The noodles were done as she removed the paper top.

"They better call me or I might actually miss you... Jamie."

 **-End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Author's Note:**

 **I read the reviews and I am happy by the reactions. I hoped this chapter didn't feel rushed because I did rush this chapter because I wanted to post it as soon as possible. I hoped you liked it. Please let me know and hopefully, the next chapter would be posted next week. _-sorrowXdarkness_**


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the fan-fiction. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 7: I Cherish you**

 **oooOOOooo**

"I'm sorry!" Lapis bent forward as she stood before Peridot. In the morning, she and Jamie wasted no time as they left the house. Jamie insisted that Lapis work out what to say for when she apologized. Last night, Lapis practically exploded as the water from the sink and from their cups flew into the air. It began to swirl around until it formed a sphere. Peridot and Jamie were confused by her abrupt behavior. Peridot asked Jamie if he cared for her and Jamie took the moment to think about it. As he pondered, he noticed her somewhat anxious expression as she waited for a response. Jamie knew that despite her intellect, she was still like a child.

"I do. I cherish you."

Despite being the one to ask, Peridot was rather surprised by Jamie's response. She expected him to say no or something along those lines. Even when she spent the last few days with Jamie, she felt, deep inside, insecure of herself. Her personality seemed unappealing to most inhabitants of the planet earth so it was unlikely that Jamie cherished her. Still, his actions suggested otherwise unless it was out of pity or obligation for either Steven or Lapis, or both. Jamie was closed to them both that he was compelled to do them a favor of watching her. So why did she ask? More so, why asked that particular question? It was hope. So when Jamie gave her such an answer, she gave a smile and a thank you. She thanked him for cherishing her; for cherishing someone like her. There was also something that she didn't expect. It started when he said "I do". Lapis' fork dropped to her plate though Peridot paid no mind as Jamie continued. It wasn't until a few seconds later that a crack of glass was heard as they turned to Lapis. The water sphere that she formed over her head turned into a fist.

"What do you mean by that?" Her voice lacked any warmth as they were directed toward both Jamie and Peridot.

"L-Lapis? Are you feeling alright?" Jamie voiced as he stood up from his chair. Peridot did the same as she left her chair.

"Has she lost it?!" Peridot exclaimed.

"I'M FINE!" The fist made of water slammed on the table as the wooden furniture collapsed from the impact. The four legs that held the table fell in as the table was split unevenly in half. The plates and silverware landed on the floor as some of them broke in the process. Everything got silent before Jamie walked over to Lapis. He placed a hand over her shoulder, and felt a twitch from her body as Lapis quickly became aware of what transpired. Peridot feared Lapis as she made no move to get closer. She stood behind her chair, as if the chair could provide some protection of Lapis' wrath.

After that, Jamie and Peridot left. Jamie offered to walk Peridot home as Lapis remained to herself, though in reality, she went to Jamie's room and sat on the floor. When she came to, she realized that she made a mess in the kitchen. She also destroyed a few of Jamie's plates and wooden table. As they walked along the shoreline, Lapis realized that the kitchen was still a mess from the night before. Jamie reassured her that they would clean it up later, after she finished apologizing to Peridot. She nodded though became slightly nervous as she rubbed her arm. Her grip on her arm tightened the closer they got until they stood before Steven's house. Once they were by the door, Lapis knocked. After a slight pause, Peridot opened the door.

"Bulbasaur!" She closed the door rather quick. Lapis turned to Jamie and Jamie gestured her to try again. She did. She knocked though this time Garnet answered.

"Yes?"

"Garnet, good morning... can I speak to Peridot?" Lapis asked. Garnet held a stern emotionless expression as she turned to the left. Peridot was hiding behind the sofa as the fear shook her body.

"Be my guest."

"What!? I thought we're in good terms with each other." Peridot cried before returning her sight on Lapis whom walked in. "You! I don't know what I did wrong, but please allow me to apologize for my lack of awareness."

Lapis frowned as she took another step. "Peridot, I should be the one to apologized. You did nothing wrong. What happened last night, that was all my fault. That's why I'm here." Lapis took a deep breath and spoke that simple line. "I'm sorry!" She spoke those words as she dropped her head, her eyes were closed. "I don't know what came over me, but I know you weren't in the wrong. I was."

Peridot said nothing at first, though she did leave her hiding spot behind the sofa. Garnet clapped her hands together before speaking. "Okay. Peridot, this is where you forgive Lapis."

Peridot looked at toward Garnet before looking at Lapis. She was less fearful though was still not convinced.

"Peridot, Lapis is sincerely sorry. She was bothered by what she did last night because she really cares about you. She cherishes you because you are important." Jamie insisted.

"Do you really cherish me?" Peridot asked.

"I do. I really cherish you Peridot and I'm sorry again for last night. Do you forgive me?" There was a slight pause as Peridot thought about it as they stared at each other. Each second that passed made Lapis feared of the potential loss. Despite Peridot's obvious traits that annoyed others, she was still important to Lapis. They were friends to say the least and knew each other for some time. They reconciled at the barn house after they both agreed to become Crystal Gems; their past would remain the past, not allowing it to taint their present and future.

"I forgive you."

Lapis went to hug Peridot whom stood there as she awkwardly received the hug. Garnet smiled as she gestured Peridot to hug Lapis back. She did. Jamie smiled at the display.

 **oooOOOooo**

After that, Jamie received a call from the mayor. It seemed that Mayor Dewey required his presence in his office and that it was rather urgent. Jamie excused himself though Lapis detached herself from Peridot. She asked if she should tag along, to which Jamie said it wasn't required.

"I'll be back soon." Lapis and Jamie were inclined to hold hands for a moment, though before they could, they saw a well-aware Garnet as she gave the thumbs up.

"Then, I'll be here for your return."

When Jamie left, Lapis wasn't sure what to do. Garnet didn't stay long, and both Pearl and Amethyst were nowhere to be seen. Peridot said that Steven went out to walk Lion. Despite the hug they shared, there wasn't much they could do together since they didn't have much in common. Peridot then remembered the television. She discovered that the television was the most common ground activity. Lapis didn't mind as they went up the stairs to Steven's bed. Peridot turned on the television as she sat on the bed closer to the wall. Lapis took her seat on the edge as Peridot picked out the show. Five minutes into the show, Peridot turned to Lapis.

"So, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"How important is Jamie to you?"

"Why the sudden question?"

"Well, I figured the reason why you nearly exploded yesterday was because of your jealousy."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you felt threatened by my presence. Right?"

Oh, she thought in her mind. It was starting to make sense of what Peridot was getting at. If Lapis was jealous, then jealousy could explain her behavior last night. If that was true, why did she feel threatened? Peridot didn't mean it as anything more than friends. Did she feel threatened? What else could explain what happened last nigh? "I'm not too sure..."

"You're not sure?"

"Well..."

 **oooOOOooo**

"You wanted to see me, Mayor Dewey?" Jamie walked into the mayor's office, after being checked by the security guards.

"Jamie my boy! Glad you can make it. I got some great news." He smiled as he stood up from his office chair and walked over to Jamie. He had something in his hand that was rolled up as he placed his arm over Jamie's shoulders.

"Sir?"

"I got here a copy of your play and it got my approval. As long as it within the budget, then by all means, do your play."

Jamie eyes trembled along with his body, but he regained his composure as he accepted the task. "Thank you Mr. Mayor."

"Just as long you continue the good work."

Mayor Dewey gave Jamie information concerning the funds and the expected date of the actual performance. Jamie thanked the mayor once more before taking his leave. He was ecstatic by the news. He submitted three rough drafts that he personally came up with, and by joy, one of them was accepted. He needed to build and prepare the set as well as to hold auditions for the parts. There was so much to be done, and he needed to act now.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Well, do you know how he feels about you? I mean, you live with the hu-... Jamie."

"I know he really cares for me and like me...but...Ooooh! I don't want to think of it." Lapis shook her head as she held it with her hands.

"Wait, why?" Peridot was confused.

"Because! I get this obscene vision in my head and I can't get it out!"

"Obscene? How?"

How exactly was Lapis going to explain to Peridot of what she had in mind after watching that film? She wasn't even trying to think along those lines, but her mind subconsciously formed images that played together like a scene from the movie and gave rise to the explicit. "Argh! The thing that Paulette and Percy did in Camp Pining Hearts."

"Oh...that." Peridot turned her head and stared at the blank television. The awkward pause lasted no more than a few seconds. "So...you want to do that with Jamie?"

"I don't know...yes?" Lapis rested her head on her knees. She pulled up and continued speaking. "I never felt like this so I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do."

"Do you have to do anything? Couldn't you just let things happen on their own?"

Lapis turned to Peridot. She did have a point. Why must she take actions now? "Yeah, I could... thanks."

 **Omake:**

"Jamie!"

"Steven! What are you doing here?"

Jamie was on his way back when found Steven and Lion by the boardwalk.

"I promised to buy Lion a whole bunch of his favorite treats and then we started walking around. What do you got there?"

"Oh this, I got approval from Mayor Dewey to work on my next play. This one is something I wrote myself."

"Really?! Can I audition again?"

"Sure. I just hope more people will come as well. We did great the last few times, but I hope to have a bigger cast of people."

 **End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading and enjoying my story. I read the reviews and I want to discuss a few things. I'm not planning to make a harem, though I do believe that love rivals make the story more interesting and dramatic. They help to develop character, especially for the protagonists. There was also the request of making Lapis pregnant. Please understand the pace of the story. Jamie and Lapis are only on the "holding hands" phrase, so to conceive a child all of a sudden, seems unrealistic right now. I thank you for the reviews and I'll see you next time! _-_ _sorrowXdarkness_**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fan-fiction'. _-sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Steven Universe: Roommates**

 **Chapter 8: The Crossroad**

When Jamie returned, he returned not alone. Steven stood there along with Lion as Jamie carried two boxes. As soon as they entered, the smell of something delicious entered their sense sponges. Peridot quickly appeared before them, as Lapis gave a smile to Jamie upon seeing him. It was returned with a smile of his own, as he gestured the boxes in his hands.

"We brought pizzas!" Steven exclaimed quickly as they took notice of the "stuffed" pies.

Jamie placed the boxes on the counter-top as everyone that ate began to take a slice from the pre-sliced pies. As they ate (those that did) and chatted, Lapis stood next to Jamie and looked up at his face. Jamie took noticed as he poured his attention to the gem as she flared a deep sapphire.

"N-Nothing...it's just...isn't it weird that these 'pizzas' are in a flat circular shape while in a flat square shaped box?" She turned away. In truth, she was trying to imagine his sleeping face. It bothered her how frequent he got to see hers though she was partly to blame. When the movie they watched came to an end, so did her consciousness. Almost like a spell, her eyes began to feel heavy as she struggled to stay awake; completely futile. Even so, her heart sprang out to see the yet to be seen; his unconscious self close to her.

"You know, I never thought of that..." Jamie pondered for a bit. "It is weird." He declared as well.

Lapis continued to provide topics to discuss as she tried to steer her eyes from looking at his face. It was different when he wasn't looking back at her. Each time she caught a glimpse, a force from within tried to pull her eyes to his direction. In a sense, it was a constant struggle that bothered her all the way home. When they arrived to his house, he guided her in. Unbeknown to her, Jamie had tremendous news. He asked Steven to refrain from telling anyone until tomorrow. If anyone was to hear about it first, it would be Lapis. She, like Jamie, appreciated the classics and the arts as much as him. Before he spoke, Lapis insisted that he start the movie as she would go and prepare the snacks. As she dashed to the kitchen, Jamie was left standing there. He was perplexed by her behavior since his return to Steven's house. To him, it felt like she was avoiding him; refusing to make eye contact and made sure she wasn't blocked for a quick getaway. Why would Lapis be avoiding him? Thinking back, he figured they closed the distance enough to be comfortable with each other, so why the sudden push?

As if on cue, Daisy's face pop in his mind. To him, she was a friend. To her, he was a servant (at best). He heard some terrible things from her lips, but the worst was the day he left. He didn't bother to tell Daisy of his departure, though somehow she found out just before he left. He remembered perfectly of the words spoken by someone as corrupted as her and it pained him to voice them out.

 _"Men are nothing more than beast to be tamed. Any girl you meet, no matter how innocent, would eventually understand that reality. Then again, you are hardly a beast yourself. You're more like a pup that any girl would love to have as a pet. Believe me... I do."_

That was not the type of love he wanted; still wanted. His version was filled with energy, warmth, and happiness. That was his love, though he began to wonder. If reality was as cruel as Daisy said, his love would never bloom. The most it could be, was a bulb from his feelings alone; his unreciprocated love. This thought left him in a state of depression as he forcefully picked a movie. Continuing with his past, he remembered confessing his "undying love" for the gem Garnet. What a fool he was! When he first laid eyes on her, she seemed unreal by her beauty and somehow alluring without being deliberate. Rushing to pursue her, he wrote a letter of his spontaneous affections for her. It ended with her rejection and he eventually found out (through Steven) that Garnet was the relationship between two smaller gems. His suddenness and forcefulness of his love only provided evidence that what Daisy may be true.

When Lapis arrived with the popcorn in hand, she had this almost stale look on her face. _As if she was forcing a smile..._ She walked over and placed the bowl strategically in between them. The movie began, though it didn't feel like it did. Normally, at the start of the movie, Lapis would brush her shoulder with his and toward the middle, her head would already be using Jamie's shoulder as a pillow. None of that happened, as Lapis kept the set distance between them; the bowl filled with popcorn acted as the marker. The movie reached its climax, though his mind refused to take notice of it. Distracted by something confusing or abnormal, Jamie began to ask himself several questions. Why was Lapis behaving like this? Did he do something that made her feel uncomfortable? Did they reach the height of their relationship, as it traveled down the steep mountain exponential-like? He reached out to grab a piece of popcorn, only to be met with her hand as she thought of the same thing. When they touched, he instinctually latched his hand to hers. Before he could get a firm grip, she pulled her hand away; as if his hand was molten lava to her ocean water. Jamie retracted his hand though as it lay on the floor, it became a tight fist. _Men are nothing more than beast..._

As if on cue, Jamie began to feel nauseous. Sick. He was sick of himself. He somehow ruined his chances (if he had any) and perhaps it was because he was himself. Despite meeting and greeting, with the beginning of the journey clear of any storm, in the end, it rained. Even now, he made it worse. Lapis must be tired of this "movie-night", but was compelled to continue it for his sake. She was too nice for her own good. Obligation did not spell out friends. She wasn't doing it because she wanted to (not anymore). She had to, so she could preserve this friendship for his sake. Maybe she believed that Jamie could not handle the loss or was too much of a hassle. He was not sure what to believe, but kept any waterworks from dripping. Friends did things, not because they were friends. It was because they were friends, they did things. It naturally happened, and without any force that resembled obligatory commands.

Lapis, on the other hand, made sure that the sandman's spell eluded her. Each time she yawned, she would pinch her legs as the pain gave temporary relief of any drowsiness. She refused to look at him still, as she feared that she would be pulled in to rest her head on his shoulder. No matter the warmth, the temptation, and the smell, she would keep her distance. She was going to see his sleeping face, one way or another. When their hand made contact, she quickly pulled away. That was close, she thought. Any longer and her resolve would be crush. She tightened her hand into a fist to display the firmness of her resolve. When the movie came to an end, Jamie walked over to turn off the television and remove the VHS tape from the machine. Lapis noted how tired Jamie seemed as his eyes were downcast. She was hoping that he would fall asleep first and she'll be the one to tuck him in bed. Sad to say, it didn't happen. They said their goodnights, and each one went to their respective bed.

"There's always next time..." Lapis said openly as she was in her room. With that one thought, she closed her eyes and entered the land of dreams.

Jamie, on the other hand, stood awake. It was clear to him that it was over. "I guess all good things eventually comes to an end."

 **oooOOOooo**

"You haven't told her yet?" Jamie cringed from the sudden outburst from Steven. Early in the morning, he gave Steven a call to let him know that he hadn't yet told Lapis of the news.

"No. Something happened, and I couldn't find a good time to tell her. I'll try for today, but please...don't tell anyone until I tell you."

"Okay... I won't."

"Sorry... I know how much you want to tell all the others... I really want to tell Lapis first." Jamie said, feeling bashful afterwards.

"I completely understand. Good luck Jamie."

"Thanks."

The call ended and Jamie returned his phone to his pocket. He stared at the popcorn in the trash. Last night, they barely reached for the bowl; not since they touched their hands. Lapis was still asleep, but Jamie couldn't do the same. Sleep was a luxury that he could no longer afford. When he submerged himself into the sea of dreams, reflections of Kansas appeared and how everything seemed to be different. It felt like a remote planet that he visited and suffered in trying to stimulate into their culture and lifestyle. It wasn't his ideal spot; not anymore.

The day came to an end quickly as Lapis was in Jamie's room, picking another movie for the night. Jamie was in the kitchen, preparing the snacks. Last night, the bowl was left untouched. It wasn't until this morning that Lapis noticed the popcorn in the trash. She wondered if Jamie wasn't hungry that night, or maybe he was ill. Even today, he seemed restless. Steven did inform her that humans tend to get sick in the changing of the season among other things. Could that be happening to Jamie? Did a sudden affliction of the sickness proved too much for Jamie? Now she was worried. Should she suggest canceling tonight's movie night?

"I got the snacks." Jamie said, entering his room as his gave a noticeably sheepish smile. He was putting effort into that smile; Lapis' decision was made.

"Jamie...maybe it's better if we cancel movie-night tonight."

 _Crack!_

Jamie dropped the ceramic bowl filled with snacks as the impact to the ground, shattered the bowl. Jamie's body leaned forward as he held his stomach, as if in pain.

"Jamie!" Lapis rushed to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder while reaching to touch his forehead with the other. Jamie quickly moved away as he used the wall to support himself. The blow was sudden, though inevitable.

"I'm fine. Really, I am." Jamie insisted.

Lapis tried still to reach him, though his outstretched arm prevented her from getting any closer.

"I was expected this... I'm glad you suggested this. Now, you don't have to force yourself to watch boring movies with me." Jamie said as he gave a strain smile.

"What! I didn't mea-" Before Lapis could continue, Jamie's body succumbed to the fatigue due to the lack of sleep, stress, and painful memories. Before his body made its way to the ground as the bowl did, Lapis latched herself onto him. She nearly fell alongside with him, but managed to support him.

"Jamie? Jamie! Jamie!"

That was all he could hear before the light turned off. Everything then became dark and spacious for Jamie as he pondered. Would they still be roommates after this? Or would she leave to find a new place to stay? Weird. It felt like he was in the darkness for a moment, and the moment passed. His vision of the material world returned as he opened his eye. It was still dark, though unmistakably different. This time around, he could see his surroundings. He was still in his room, though not on the floor. He was on his bed, resting as the bed-sheet covered his body. His head still felt light as he felt a small aching pain across his body.

"You're awake...thank god!" He turned to the source of the voice. He knew of whom the voice belonged to, but he was still surprised when he saw her face very close to his. She was in bed beside him. The sheet that covered his body, also cover hers as he felt his cheeks flaring.

"Lapis! What are you doing here?"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was when you suddenly began to fall? I panicked after catching you! I finally found sense to put you in bed and call Steven. Steven's dad came and explained that you were suffering from 'fatigue'. He said something about lack of sleep along with some other stuff, but after a good rest, you should fine. Even with his reassurance, I couldn't leave you alone so I laid myself beside you and watched you sleep."

"You did all that?" Jamie felt a sense of gratitude swelling up from his stomach to his chest. He wanted to reach out and caress her face, but found that he couldn't. His hand, it was stuck on something underneath the sheets. He felt a tightening of sort, and realized that Lapis' hand was holding his down.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I?"

"Well...be-"

"Before that, answer me this: Why do you think I was bored with watching those movies with you? I only suggested that because you were tired and was acting strange."

"I was acting strange? What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You were avoiding me all of a sudden."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were. Last night, when our hands touched, you were quick to retract it among other things. I thought I may have done something wrong."

"No no. I wanted to-" Lapis stopped herself. All she wanted was to see his sleeping face, which she did. Once Steven's dad came to examine Jamie, Lapis crawled into bed and stared at Jamie's unconscious self. Despite getting what she wanted, it wasn't what she wanted. Actually, it may have been her fault that Jamie suffered human fatigue.

"You wanted to what?" Jamie asked, his eyes were staring at hers intensely. Lapis made a mistake before, so she wasn't gong to do the same again.

"Promise you won't laugh."

"Promise."

Lapis took a deep breath before speaking. "I wanted to see you sleep. Every time we watched something late at night, I would usually be the first one to fall asleep. You would carry me to my bed and get to see my sleeping face. I wanted to see yours, so I tried keeping myself awake. I pinched myself to stay awake and kept my distance so that I wouldn't rest on your shoulder."

"Why?" Jamie curiously asked.

"Well, because I tend to get too comfy and have no trouble sleeping."

"I see..." Jamie smiled. Everything was beginning to make sense. She wasn't distancing him at all. Daisy was wrong about Lapis.

"I'm sorry for causing this misunderstanding."

"No, I'm glad you did."

"You are? Why?"

"Well, I feel like I know you even better than before..."

"Me too." Lapis said as she felt the touch of his other hand caressing her face. It gave a warmth to reassure that he was fine; to worry not. "You should sleep some more. Your body should still be tired."

"Alright."

Lapis was planning to leave, but decided against it. Instead, she turned to Jamie and forced herself to speak. "Just for tonight, would it be okay for me to sleep by your side?"

"I'll be fine by the morning. Honest."

"I know, but for tonight... I want to be by your side." She gave a hopeful smile as if a pout of sort as she awaited for his response. Oh, if Jamie knew of the act she committed while he was away. Tonight would not be the first night that she slept in Jamie's bed. It would be the first to sleep alongside him or anyone for that matter (disregarding the fact that she lay next to an unconscious Jamie moments before).

"Alright."

Lapis happily lay beside him though they kept their bodies at a distance. Lapis didn't have the pillow below her head, but she was comfortable where she was. This was just like before, but this time around, his scent was a lot stronger. The only crossroad between the two would be the hands that happily intertwined with each other.

 **End of Chapter 8**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

"What will it be?" Kiki said as she looked over to see whom it was. When she saw it was Jamie, her eyes went big before returning to their usual shape and size. "Well well, look like Willy Shakespeare has made his appearance. What will we have for today? The usual?" She smiled as she leaned over the counter.

"You know me. One box please."

"One box, coming up!" She turned around and began preparing the pizza in front of him. As she prepared his order, she continued the conversation. "So, I heard you returned from Kansas. Were things not what you imagined them to be?"

Jamie's expression shifted upon hearing the word "Kansas". In truth, his time over there was dreadful. It left a bad aftertaste that continued to persist despite returning for a few weeks now. "Well, let's say the people there were not as friendly as the people here in Beach City."

Kiki looked over to Jamie as her hands continued the task. "I see... I'm glad you're back before they could change you."

"Me too."

There was an awkward pause as Jamie waited for his order. Then it came to him as he spoke out.

"Oh, and could you make it two to go?"

 **End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **I'm sorry for the delay. I wrote a chapter 8 of this story, but found it to be too soon. There was something that I wanted to first "introduce", so I decided to re-write a new chapter 8; hence the delay. Please let me know what you think. Until next time! - _sorrowXdarkenss_**


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Steven Universe; hence the fan-fiction. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 9: I like you... I like you a lot.**

 **oooOOOooo**

The yellow star slowly and quietly ascended from the ground, casting its brilliance across Beach City. As the light traveled across the town, it made its way past Jamie's house. When she felt the sunshine, Lapis' eyes mimicked the sun as they opened gradually. When they were wide open and with much clarity, her eyes cast their stare on the human mere inches from them. Her face smiled; the warmth and carefree that was emitted by Jamie as he laid there asleep. Without much thought, Lapis leaned her head closer until her forehead made contact with his. The warmth she felt was soothing, more so when his breath pushed out and collided with her bottom face.

Under the blankets, their hands continued to embrace; she could tell as she tightened her grip ever so slightly. Oh, what she would do to continue with this sleeping arrangement. Saying that it felt nice was pure moonshine; an understatement that she now knew. This was the closest Lapis ever had been to bliss. _It could still be so much better..._ She began to remember the particular scene of Camp Pining Hearts where Paulette and Percy kissed. Peridot claimed that they were attempting to perform a human's equivalent to fusion performed by Gems though they only scratched the surface. Then again, human could not fuse with each other; there was no need and they were anatomically unable to form such feat. Still, Lapis did see Steven and Connie fusing a handful of times. Even still, though Connie may be human, Steven was a hybrid of a human and a gem. He was literally the crossroad to fusion between both species. To conclude, it may be possible to fuse after all.

Lapis mentally shook her head. There was plenty of time to figure that out, so one thing is clear. She felt something for Jamie. This feeling to be close both literally and figuratively almost clearly spelled out what it was. Then she wondered; what it felt like kissing someone you love? She had seen many movies with scenes that had both partners embracing the other and casting their eyes onto themselves as they leaned closer. Their lips would eventually collide and the fire would be ignited. Their hands would do anything to bring the other closer to further intensify the experience. That was something she wanted to experience as well. It was funny. Since her decision to stay on earth, she never figured that she would harbor feelings of this nature and magnitude while on this planet. Now look at her, laying down across another, all warm inside. She bit down her lips before returning them to their usually position. She drew her lips closer, tilting her head slightly. Although, before she could connect with his lips, Jamie began to stir. The sandman's spell was weakening as Jamie let out a groan. He tossed and turned a bit before revealing his eyes; his clear and sparkled eyes. When they saw Lapis, he gave her a smile. Her face turned into a blueberry as she turned meek; quiet and timid.

"Good morning..." He said, not minding the distance between them. As of now, Jamie should only be able to see Lapis face as well the minor details that surrounded her face. The hue of blue on Lapis' eyes. The lips that became partially opened, almost as if they were performing a trance to allure.

"Good morning... how do you feel?" Lapis managed to say as she remembered what happened the night before.

"Better. A lot better." Now awake, Jamie matched the tightness of his grip with hers. There were signs that gave Lapis the incentive to inquire about that kiss. Should she? How would he feel about it? Better question, how did he feel about her? The same? Or different?

"Good...but you're staying in bed." Lapis insisted. Despite the troubling questions in her mind, she still was concerned with his well-being.

"I would love to, but I ha-"

"Your supervisor already know about your sickness." Lapis said, earning a surprised look on Jamie's face.

"She does?"

"Yep, when I called Steven yesterday. His dad came and examined you. He also used your phone to call your supervisor, Barbara...right?"

Jamie nodded as he dropped his head down to his pillow. He let out a sigh before he spoke again. "Guess I'm staying in bed today. We should still get something to eat for breakfast."

"I can go out and get something. Do you have something in mind?"

"It's has been a while since I got pancakes from Harold's FlapJack Parlor."

"Then consider it, done." Lapis said, tapping Jamie's nose with her finger from her unoccupied hand. The look he had given her, was a good sign as she began to get up. Although she would like to continue laying down beside him, she knew the importance of breakfast. Both Steven and Pearl explained to her how crucial it was to start the day with a good breakfast. Humans required constant amount of energy from the many sources or dishes. Peridot predicted that it was one of the reasons why the humans created different methods to retrieve said energy.

"You're sure you got this?"

"Yeah, I know where the place. Steven took everyone there once." Lapis said, as she fixed her dress a bit before looking at the bedridden Jamie.

"Then I wish you safe travel my dear maiden."

Lapis couldn't help, but to giggle. She had seen plenty of films of fair maidens and chivalrous knights and knew the speech pattern. What made her giggled, was his sudden role of a knight, making her the fair maiden; the target of the knight's affections. "I'll be back." She left the room, feeling the warm pulsation of her gem.

 **oooOOOooo**

"You try to sneak a kiss!" Peridot exclaimed.

Lapis quickly covered Peridot's mouth with her hands. After leaving the house, she made her way to the flapjack parlor. She placed her order and personally spoke to Harold. He even wished that Jamie got better soon before leaving to prepare the order. Due to the number of people, her order would not be ready for another 20 minutes or so. Lapis decided to walk around the broad-walk until she spotted Peridot, whom was collecting data of the neighboring crustaceans on the shore-line. They began to chat, and Peridot brought up what she heard happened last night. Lapis nodded as she explained that Jamie nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Although, seeing Peridot's reaction, Lapis made quick of her explanation that Jamie was doing fine. She also explained that Jamie was in no condition to cook, so she was the midst of getting breakfast for them both.

"I see...so shouldn't you be on your way? Where's the breakfast?"

"I'm waiting for my order. I spoke with the owner and he said it should be ready in 20 minutes."

"How long has it been?"

"About 20 minutes... I should really go." Lapis said as she waved goodbye.

"Then give Jamie my regard. Oh, and good luck."

Confused, Lapis sought clarification. "In what?"

"In getting that kiss." Peridot snickered as Lapis turned the deepest shade of sapphire. Maybe it was a mistake in telling Peridot about that. Now that she thought about it, wouldn't she be taking advantage of the situation if she did get that kiss? That would be bad, right?

"I'll be going now!" Lapis quickly said as Peridot returned to her analysis.

Getting their orders, Lapis made her way to her home with no detours. "I better hurry. Jamie must be hungry."

When she got home, she noticed something was off upon her arrival. Though the door was closed, the screen door that came before the wooden door was not closed completely; which was weird. She remembered closing both doors before she left, so why was it partially opened.

"Jamie?" She voiced after placing down the food.

Silence. "Jamie?" She stood by the staircase though was met with no response. She felt a lump in her throat as her mind began to fear for something. Too many movies could cause someone to imagine all sort of things, including nasty ones of kidnappers and murderers. His silence made her gem to quiver. She feared not of herself, but of Jamie as she ascended up the stairs. "Jamie?"

Her bare foot made a creak on the floorboard as she walked down the corridor. She winced upon the noise she made as she internally gestured her foot to keep quiet before continuing. Her arms were spread apart as they touch the very walls of the passageway that led her to Jamie's room. His door was, but a foot away as she voiced his name once again. "Jamie?" Her voice began to tremble upon the unknown. Opening the door, she looked inside. The room seemed as it was when she left, but then she saw something missing. Jamie. His bed, the place where Lapis last saw him, was lacking one Jamie. Even the blanket was gone.

"Jamie? Jamie! Where are you?" She ran to the bathroom though it was left ajar without any occupant. "Jamie!"

She was way past losing it. Her eyes scattered everywhere to fine him, unbeknown that the facet and handles of the bathroom sink began to tremble.

"Yes?"

She lifted her head from where she was kneeing and turned to find Jamie, standing by the doorway of her room. He was embraced by the blanket found in his room and held a look of confusion. Before he could say anymore, Lapis leaped to his being and embraced wholeheartedly. The force was enough for him to walk back until he tripped on the side of the bed and fell on her bed with her on top of him. Upon impact, Lapis lifted her body off though kept it hovering over Jamie's.

"Jamie!" She embraced once again, taking in everything she could; his warmth, touch, and scent. Then she pushed up, her hands beside Jamie's head and she stared at Jamie. "Don't you know that I was looking for you? Why didn't you say anything? And why are you in my room?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. I was still asleep, until I heard you shouting my name. Also, your room was closer to the staircase."

"Why does that matter?"

"A friend came by to see me, so we talked a bit in the kitchen. After they left, I went up the stairs, but I may have over-did it so I went to your room to rest. I didn't think I would fall asleep so easily. I'm sorry..." He gave his best apologetic face.

"No, I'm glad it was nothing..." Her body found itself in Jamie's embraced, though with the addition of Jamie's fingers going through her hair. His heart gave a constant and deep beat that indulged her each time she picked up its sound and pound. "You're still in trouble, for leaving your room."

"I figured. Did you get breakfast?"

"I did. They're in the kitchen." She looked up at him. He was awake now; and conscious. Now was a good time, as she was surrounded by his arms. "Jamie..."

"Hm?"

"Do you know how worried I was?"

It started out with a simple question. Naturally, there came a pause to allow said question to slip in before running its course. At the end of the lap, an answer was forged.

"Lapis..."

"I like you... Jamie. I like you a lot." Her face returned to that deep sapphire shade as she struggled to finish the rest. _Come on! Say it! Say that you looooovvvveee him! Do it now!_

 **End of Chapter 9**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

Jamie thought of Lapis when she left to get breakfast. He thought of her a lot. Things were doing great between them, though he seemed to be confused about something. He felt that she really liked him, but in what way exactly? Daisy may be wrong about Lapis, but there was some truth in what she had shown him. He needed to heavily consider what it means to be in love. Love was not given; hence the necessity of the individual's interpretation. He really liked Lapis, there was no doubt about it. When she smiled, or twirled her body, his eyes became captivated by the display.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake..."

 **Ding-Dong**

Someone rang the doorbell. Jamie slowly lifted himself off the bed and made his way down the staircase. When he stood by the door, he removed the lock and opened the wooden board the separated him from his visitor.

"Jamie!"

Jamie had the look of surprised before showing his excitement. After speaking her name, he let the person in and they began to converse in the kitchen.

 **End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry for the delay once again. I was planning to post this on Sunday, but I'm not the only one that use my computer. I hope you like this chapter; let me know what you think by leaving a review. - _sorrowXdarkness_**


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fan-fiction'.- _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 10:** **I love you**

 **oooOOOooo**

In an island, a group consisting of five made their way through the tropical forest. The island was filled with life, evident by the amount of noise one could easily hear when standing on said land. They walked for hours, in search of a gem. So far, they encountered nothing out of the ordinary; if you include Amethyst morphing her head into the shape of a fish and frightening Peridot as normal. Pearl naturally took control of the situation as she reminded Amethyst that Peridot was still new to gem missions. Lapis was trying to find the gem as soon as possible. She really needed to return home to Jamie. Being called to go on a mission while confessing was impeccable timing. Really, who does that? Mere seconds before her 'complete' confession, a voice appeared to the both of them. It came from outside, and Lapis decided to check it out; they were shouting her name after all. It was Steven, along with Peridot, Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet. She knew what that meant as she turned to Jamie.

Jamie was distracted by what she said before, even if it was incomplete, that he didn't notice her until she placed a hand over his. He turned to her, and took notice of the noise outside. He asked what was going on, and she revealed to him that she had to go on a mission. The look on his face changed, leaving her to believe that he understood what that meant.

Reluctant to leave Jamie's side once again, Lapis made her way outside and insisted to pass on the mission. Five people was more than enough; anymore and it could be counterproductive. Garnet agreed with what she said, but said that the team would consist of Steven, Pearl, Peridot, Amethyst and Lapis. The only reason she accepted was because Garnet said she would look after Jamie. Apparently Garnet was not needed in today's mission, so she was free to look after Jamie. Since it was Garnet, Lapis could rest easily; at least initially. Something changed.

An hour into the mission, Amethyst brought up something of the past. Although Lapis only knew Jamie for a short while, she knew nothing of his previous love life. She didn't even know that he had one. So when Amethyst spilled the beans, Lapis was far from relaxed.

"Hey Steven, is it alright for Garnet to be taking care of this Jamie person?" Amethyst began as they walked through a stony trail by a creek. Lapis and Pearl were ahead by a few meters. Hopefully far enough not to hear their conversation; boy, how wrong was she?

"I have total confidence with Garnet. Why?" Steven asked. Lapis was a bit ahead, but found interest in their conversation. Why was Amethyst concerned about that? Lapis kept her distance, but remained close enough to hear.

"Well, didn't like Jamie confessed to Garnet a few weeks ago and got rejected?"

 _He what?_ Lapis stood, unable to move. _Jamie confessed to Garnet? And got rejected?_ Lapis' gem began to react to those ideas; something inside her began to tremble.

"Yes, but Garnet spoke to him already. Now, they're good friends." Steven said in an optimistic tone. In Steven's eyes, there was nothing wrong with the arrangement. Lapis did not feel the same.

As they continued walking, Amethyst bumped into something or rather someone. Lapis Lazuli stood there with a very familiar expression. Her brows and lips were arched in a matter that gave her both a mad and scary expression; like when they fought after she was released from her prison.

"Whoa, Lapis...what's up?" Amethyst said, not realizing how her conversation with Steven would affect the blue gem.

"Could you care to tell me more about that?" Although it came off as a question, it was anything but a question. It felt more like a demand.

Amethyst, who usually did not like any heavy tensions, was feeling the weight on her shoulders along with Lapis' stare.

"Um, I think Steven knows more about it than me. So bye!" Amethyst ran ahead. "Pearl! Are you calling me?!"

Lapis eyes adjusted to stare at the boy in the island. Steven gave a sheepish smile, before giving a cough. "Okay...where should I begin?" He pondered. He took a seat on a large rock. Lapis did the same.

"From the beginning." She firmly said. Steven took in a deep breath.

"Right...well...here I go."

 **oooOOOooo**

Ten minutes had passed since Lapis left with Steven's group. They went on a mission in search of a gem. Jamie understood it was one of their responsibilities as Crystal Gems, but he was worried; particularly with Lapis.

"You needn't worry. They'll be alright." Garnet said, sitting on a chair before Jamie.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Garnet smiled. "Yes." She said.

Jamie looked over at the woman that was sitting before him. She was so sure of herself, and it caused Jamie to ponder.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Let's say I know a bit of what's to come."

That only increased his curiosity. "What, you can see into the future or something?" He asked. It was meant as a joke, he never expected it to be true.

"Yep."

Jamie's eyes became large as plates. "Whoa...no way."

"Way."

After that, there was silence. Neither one said a word as the clock continued to tick. Nothing. Jamie decided to get comfy and maybe take a nap. He knew that Garnet was not much for conversations so perhaps some sleep would be better. He closed his eyes, and began to count each passing wool that came by. By the time he got to the 15th, he was brought back to the materialistic world.

"Jamie."

His eyes flickered a bit before turning his attention to the source of the voice.

"Garnet? You need something?" He asked. She answered his question with a question.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

That was unexpected. He sat up-right and used the bed frame behind as a wall to lean on.

"Sure. What is it you want to talk about?" It must be serious for Garnet to start a conversation. It was hard to figure out the topic of the conversation when Garnet usually have a firm expression on her face.

"How you do you feel about Lapis Lazuli?"

"Pardon?" God, he could tell his cheeks were flaring red.

"You like her, don't you?" She simple said.

How did she know that? Was it her power to see into the future? Or was he so obvious?

"Yes." He dropped his head, bashful about the subject.

"You should tell her then."

What? Was Garnet always this forward about it? _Of course she is. She's Garnet after all._ Even so, should he? Was his feelings for Lapis any better than his previous feelings he had for Garnet or even Daisy? Did he even know what it means to like someone? To love someone?

Garnet could see how conflicted Jamie was about the ordeal, but said nothing.

After a while, Jamie sighed. "Garnet...how do I know this is real? That what I feel for her will not come back to hurt me or her?"

His last two pursuits in love left a huge impression in his still beating heart. It still ached whenever he thought about it; not to mention embarrassing. The last thing he wanted, was to hurt Lapis with his feeble feelings.

"You don't." She pulled the chair, until she was practically next to him. "Do you remember our conversation from before? About love?"

"Yes, of course. You said love takes time and work."

"And, at the very least, you have to know the other person. Now tell me, since living with Lapis, could you say you know her quite well?"

"Yeah. There is whole side of her that enjoys timeless classics. Her eyes would focus upon gazing those iconic scenes. She loves to read short stories and plays from different era. She also curious on trying new things. I love to see her reaction whenever she tried some new dishes I made. But, I think what really brings the sparkles in her, is when she dances; light on her feet, but I could feel her gem pouring out. She is truly stunning." His face got more redder than before when he began to describe what he knew to the gem.

Garnet smiled. Before, when Lapis used to live with them, she would hardly try anything new. Sure, a few things here and there, but she would never actively try new things. She wouldn't even dance. Being with Jamie brought out a side of Lapis no one ever knew she had.

"Good."

Jamie then looked toward his bed sheets. "But, what if I'm not ready? Before you, there was someone else and she really did a number on me. I don't think I could go through that again..."

Daisy literally torn him into pieces. All he wanted to do was act in movies and television series. For a while, he was cast in minor roles which was great. He always had something to do, hardly ever did he have to wait. Eventually, his roles would only get bigger and better, but then he met Daisy. They both were up-coming movie people that were cast as the main protagonists in a short television series. It lasted for 13 episodes, but through the entire time, it felt like being on Tartarus.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't think that. It wouldn't be fair for Lapis if you keep thinking about another person while dating her. Remember, she is not Daisy. She's Lapis Lazuli."

"You're right. You always give me sol- wait, how did you know about Daisy?" He never once mentioned her name to anyone.

"I watched all the episodes of "All or Nothing"." She smiled.

"You did?" That was the show he acted in with Daisy before leaving Kansas. For Garnet to have known, made Jamie genuinely surprised. He never expected anyone in Beach City to watch television drama.

She nodded. "It was the last television role you had before returning to Beach City. I simply made the connection." It was frightening how right she was.

"Right...so you're saying I should?"

"Only if you're willing to put the time and effort."

 **oooOOOooo**

The moment we got back from our mission, I wasted no time in making my way home. I hated to say it, but that gem was no small task to find. It had the unique ability to disguise itself with his surroundings, hiding both its appearance and presence. We only found the gem by chance, when Steven decided to take a break and sit on a rock. Almost instantly, it let out a loud roar before running off. We quickly gave chase, but it disappeared into the woods again. We were deciding whether to stick together or go about it in smaller pairs to cover more ground.

Pearl decided it would be safe to stay together. Since this gem could hide itself in the background, it proved to be dangerous. Lucky for us, Steven was lucky enough to find it two more times before it decided to fight back. The battle did not matter; not now anyway. What mattered was the conversation I had with Steven during the search.

I found out that Jamie once confessed his love for Garnet. Steven explained to me that when Jamie was formally introduced to Garnet, his heart became set on her. He wrote her a letter of his love for her and then some. He asked for a response, to which Garnet replied. N.O. No. That was her reply, though the children decided to write a new one without her knowing. It was a rejection, but a rejection that gave chase; unlike the original reply that promoted no such chase.

Everything was resolved after she tore his heart when she gave him the idea to start in local theater. When I opened and closed the screen door of Steven's house, I could hear Steven's voice shouting toward me.

"Lapis! Where are you going?"

"Home."

I went down the wooden stairs. I could hear him following him, but I did nothing to slow down. I really have to be there, to talk. My hands were trembling by how tight I was gripping them. Anymore, and I could lose control of my powers by how frustrated I was.

"Lapis, wait up!"

Steven finally caught up to me, and matched my pace. "Maybe you should rest first. I know a good place to get some refreshments."

"No thanks."

"Okay...um, how about a walk through the town?"

"Not interested." I said as I spotted the house. I quickened my pace. I opened the door and got ready for what I was about to say.

 **oooOOOooo**

When they heard the door opening and closing, they knew that Lapis Lazuli had returned. Feeling better, Jamie lifted himself up as Garnet opened the door leading to the small corridor. The moment she did, Lapis was already there. Her face was firm and cold as she stared at the tall woman standing by the doorway.

Jamie was excited to see Lapis. After talking to Garnet, he made his decision and he was going to see it through.

"Lapis! How did it go in your mi-"

"You." Lapis began before pointing her finger at Garnet. "You! You had the nerve to turn down someone great as Jamie with a 'n' and 'o'? Do you think of yourself so highly that you could disregard the feelings of others so easily? Of Jamie?" Lapis stepped forward, causing Garnet to sidestep. "You should have realized how fortunate you were by gaining his feelings." Tears began to roll down Lapis' cheeks. "At the very least reject him in person and with an explanation."

"You really care about him, don't you?" Garnet said, not startled by her expression. Lapis looked stunned for less than a second, but then lost sight through the frustration.

"Of course I do. I love him!" She shouted, her hands were in fists as she declared her feelings. It took her a moment to realize that Jamie was in the room with them. Garnet smiled, turning toward Jamie. Lapis did the same, seeing a stunned Jamie already standing by the bed.

"I better leave now. Take care you two." Garnet left, leaving the two figures alone.

"Yo-"

"Oh my gem! I didn't mean to say that...well I do mean it, but-"

"Lapis." Jamie said, ceasing the loss of control Lapis was experiencing as she looked at him. Her face turned into the darkest shade of blue Jamie had ever seen. He walked toward her and grabbed her hands. Their hands instinctually combined as Jamie gave a light squeeze. "It's okay. I've been meaning to say this to you... I love you too. I have for some time, but I was worried."

Lapis was in awe, but then remembered what he said at the end.

"About what?"

"Of being hurt...of hurting you. The last thing I want is to hurt you." Jamie brought his hand up and caressed the side of her face. She closed her eyes as she felt his touched. His fingertips slid down her cheek, and then to her lips. When they made contact, she parted her lips. They felt nice, and surprisingly warm. Before Lapis spoke, she grabbed his hand and gently secured it to the side of her face.

"You could never hurt me. You're too good for that. And if anything or anyone tries to hurt you, I'll be sure to protect you with all my might." Lapis said, displaying her control of the water with her free hand.

"Isn't it the job of a knight to protect his fair maiden?"

They both began to laugh. The shame, awkward and bad tension disappeared from the air. They locked eyes with each other as their faces got closer. Their laughter turned into silence as their lips finally found each other.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake**

"You recently had a fight with yourself?" Jamie asked. After their previous conversation concerning Jamie's heart, the topic changed to Garnet. He wanted to know a bit about her love life. He understood that Garnet was the fusion of Ruby and Sapphire. Steven also mentioned that to be fused in such a matter was very intimate; the distance was practically nonexistence. He was curious in how it felt to be able to be in that form. Was it perfect? Garnet smiled upon his curiosity before replying. She told him that her relationship was far from perfect.

"That's right. Ruby and Sapphire could not see eye-to-eye about something personal, and they decided to spit apart for a while. Luckily, Steven was there and made them see the errors of their way. They made up, and I was formed again. So you see, no matter how close you get, it still requires time and effort from both sides."

"Wow... hearing it from you really helps to see how relationship works. So can I ask you something rather personal?" He was slightly conflicted in asking her this, but curiosity got the better of him once more.

"Go right ahead. If it's too personal, then I simply won't tell you." She insisted. He nodded.

"Who asked out who first?"

When he asked, Garnet gave a small pause before replying. "The both of us. When we felt it, we understood that it was something completely foreign to us, but we did not try to ignore it. We choose to embrace it."

"Was that something, love?"

"Love."

They smiled at each other. "You should eat something."

"There are flapjacks on the kitchen table." Jamie said. Garnet made her way down. "Oh, and don't forget-"

"The maple syrup. I got it."

"Right...thanks."

 **END OF OMAKE**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Author Notes:**

 **I'm sorry for the huge delay. So much has happened, some good, others bad. I'm also suffering from writer's block and the strong inclination to not write. I also was having trouble writing this chapter. This is my third attempt in writing this chapter, and even then, I'm not completely satisfied. In the end, I found this to be the best I could come up with for this part. I may edit it, but nothing too extreme. Please let me know what you think!- _sorrowXdarkness._ **

**Oh, and before I forget, yes they finally kissed! When I wrote the "kiss scene", I was conflicted. Should it be simple? Or elaborate? In the end, I decided to use the "kiss system": keep it simple stupid. - _sorrowXdarkness._**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Steven Universe; hence the fan-fiction. _-sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Steven Universe- Roommates**

 **Chapter 11: The Gift**

 **oooOOOooo**

I wanted to be part of the play. _I really do._ I read it three times over and each one left me tingling inside. _The_ excitement. It was not the typical love story I expected. It was different and interesting. It must have been its novelty that got its approval by the mayor.

So while we were helping Jamie in passing on the message of the play and the auditions, Steven, along with Connie, was secretly helping me. Like me, they got a copy of the play ahead of time and read it in one sitting. After I expressed my desire to act the role of the main heroine, they agreed to help me. Between them, they decided that the first step I should take was to memorized her entire line.

It actually wasn't as hard as they made it out to be. Even before they suggested it, I memorized some of my favorite lines from her. Once I was confident in that, we moved into acting it out. Simply speaking the lines was not enough to captivate the audience. The moving of the body accordingly, the tone of the voice, and the passion of the soul were required. I read that from a book I got from Connie. She borrowed it from her local library for me. I made sure I read a chapter before going to bed, unless it was movie night with Jamie (there was no way I would miss that).

Did I mention that Jamie and I were dating? Because we were. It happened so quickly. I wasn't sure how it happened. I guessed I confessed while I took my anger out at Garnet. It somehow came out. Once it did, there was no way to take it back, much less forget it. Honestly, I was glad I did (even though it could have been more romantic). He felt the same, but was scared to come forth to me. From what I gathered, he got hurt. Real hurt. I was so close to re-direct my attention on Garnet, but he stopped me. He kept his grip of my body firmly as he dropped his head on my shoulders.

 _It wasn't Garnet..._ Was all he said.

 _So there was another._ Another person that captured his attention. Someone that did more harm to him and his precious heart than Garnet. I tightened my grip, pressing my hands against his back. I wanted him to forget about her. I wanted to say that clearly to him, but something within me stopped me. It bothered me that I couldn't speak those lines. Something about "forget" actually brought my gem to shutter. I knew the feeling, but I could not pinpoint its origin.

Either way, I held Jamie firmly into me. There was no way I would hurt Jamie. The mere thought left a sour sensation in my mind.

What felt like forever, was actually a few minutes by the time we pulled away. The only thing that connected us were our hands. We didn't want to let go just yet.

" _Lapis... I want to be clear with you..."_

"Lapis Lazuli!"

I turned my attention to what was in front of me. Peridot stood there, hands on her hips, annoyed.

"Uh...yes?"

"Did you hear anything I said to you?" She seemed a bit frustrated. Maybe it was because of the technology she was dealing with to help Jamie with the props. She wouldn't shut up about how annoying their "primitive and obsolete" props were. She spent a lot of time to make sure they worked to her standards. I found out that her standards went beyond what Jamie expected.

"YYYeeee-no." I confessed. That really got her ticked out as she dropped everything and ranted out loud how annoying it was working there. It didn't bother me. I knew the truth. She enjoyed doing it. Since she agreed to help Jamie with his play, she couldn't stop herself from working all night in some of the machinery. "Peridot...Peridot!" I shouted to get her attention. "Look, I'm sorry... I was thinking about something and before I knew it, I got sucked into it."

I hoped she didn't notice the darker shade of blue across my cheeks. _She already teased me once about my feelings...approach..._ The last thing I want is a repeat of that; especially when it came from her. The look of her face began to change as she began to see me more critically. _Did she notice something?_

"Is it something to do with Jamie?"

 _X hits the spot._ "Um...no." I turned away.

"Did you already hit a bump in your relationship with him?"

"No! Of course not. We're good. More than good, we're great." I realized that I sounded a lot like a commercial that Steven showed me.

"Heh, whatever. What's going on with you and your boyfriend is purely between you two." From there, Peridot returned to working on the prop on hand.

"W-Wait! What? You already know? About us?"

"Do you want me to answer all your questions?"

"Who told you?"

"Jamie. He needed my opinion on a gift for yo-" Peridot quickly covered her mouth with both of her hands.

"Jamie's getting me a gift?" I sounded surprise, but strangely happy. I wondered what sort of gift was he getting for me. Would Peridot tell me? At least a hint?

"F-FORGET I SAID ANYTHING!" She cried before returning to her work.

No number of approaches I did could get Peridot to talk to me. She wouldn't even look at me. She was so firm in not doing both, that I eventually gave up. Still, I knew now that Jamie was getting me something. That alone made me excited the next time I saw him. _Wait, when is he giving it to me?_

 **oooOOOooo**

Jamie sighed. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. Still, why should he be? He knew it was perfect the moment his eyes gazed over it. It reminded him of her, and he liked the colors. So what was the problem? What should he be worried about? She was going to love it, he repeated told himself. He held the trinket in his hand. It was small and perhaps fragile, but the elastic band kept everything together. Mr. Roger insisted that, despite its apparent fragility, it was pretty durable for day-to-day activities.

Jamie wasn't sure if that was part of being a salesman or a friend (perhaps both), but he took his word for it as he gave his money in exchange for the small trinket. Aside from its durability, he really hoped that Lapis would like it. If not, would she accept something else? Would she give him another chance to make it up if she didn't like it? Was he overthinking it?

"I'm terrible..." He said finally, turning his attention to the sea. He had been sitting in that same spot since this morning. For what? A small gift he was planning to give to Lapis. "I should be focusing on the production of my play. Time is of the essence...but this is equally important." He muttered that last part in despair. "I'm so pathetic..."

"Who's so pathetic?"

"H-Huh!" He quickly turned around. Behind him, was Lapis. She looked down at him from where she stood. In her hand were a pair of sandals. A few days ago, she received a pair of shoes from Connie. It was a surprise from Connie as she explained that it must have been difficult for her to walk around barefoot all the time. Lapis shrugged, but tried it on anyway. Miraculously, they fitted her perfectly as she began to walk around with them. Everyone commented how lovely it looked on her, Jamie being one of them so Lapis began to wear them. They matched Lapis' pigments.

Right now, though, she was on the beach barefoot. The sand took the form of her feet as she left a trail behind her.

"L-Lapis...what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Did you finish your route for today?"

"Y-Yeah, about an hour ago..." Jamie turned away when he sensed her taking a seat beside him. His heart was returning to a state of panic. Was now a good time to give her the gift? His breathing slowly became rapid, and it felt like his chest was about to burst until suddenly it halted. His eyes were stunned by the silence, his heart no longer beating the battle drums and he could actually breathe normally. There, resting her head on his shoulder, was Lapis taking in the view of the ocean. The sunset was displayed before them, with the waves shaking their hands at them. The seagulls could be heard, but none could be seen. Jamie let out a sigh. "Lapis..." He turned, their faces were mere centimeters apart. He took hold of her hand, there was no resistance, and placed his gift inside her palm. "I got you this. It may not be much, but it made me think of you..."

Lapis, with her eyes cast down, could see the gift and all of its entirety. The band was simple and plain, but shared a dark hue of blue found in Lapis' attire. The 4 pieces hanging about were that of a star, conch, seashell, and teardrop. They were small, but rather detailed. Noticing the silence from Lapis' part, Jamie took the gift and Lapis follow suit as he slid the band through her left hand until it rested comfortably around her wrist.

Still, nothing from Lapis. Her eyes were solely on the trinket he got for her. Then he saw something brilliant shining from the corner of his eye. It was coming from Lapis' gem. Before he could point it out to her, he felt a sudden force pressing him backward until he fell off the log. On the sandy floor of the beach, Jamie shook his head in trying to bring clarity to his mind. The moment he did, he felt something soft pressing down his lips. All he could see was her eyelids.

"Thank you! I love it. I really do." Lapis chimed cheerfully. She moved above him so excitedly as Jamie realized that his worries were for not.

"I'm glad you do." All was well between him as he placed a small kiss on her forehead.

They held their position until the night came.

When they returned home, Lapis was in the midst of falling asleep. As Jamie helped her through the stairs, she commented on how it was all Jamie's fault she was sleepy. Heading to her room, Lapis dropped her sandals by the doorway as Jamie continued to offer his services. He pulled the blanket and put her to bed. As he tried to pull away, he found that he couldn't. Lapis had her arms around his neck.

"Lapis?"

"Come sleep here." She said tiredly.

"I really shouldn't..."

"Why not? We shared a bed before, why not now? Beside, I sort of like sleeping beside you." She let out a yawn. "Please?" Her eyes were now opened, looking up at his as she pleaded with her lips.

Jamie knew he could not turn down Lapis when she was making that face. Was it fair for her to have such a weapon at her disposal? Probably not, but then again, he liked seeing her make that face. "Alright."

 **oooOOOoo**

 **Omake:**

"Lapis!"

"Steven!"

Both of them decided to go exploring in the morning while Jamie was doing his delivery route for the day. Lapis went to Steven's house to pick him up before taking flight.

"So how everything with Jamie?"

"Honestly, I can't get enough."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I really like what I have with Jamie."

"That's good. I'm happy for you." They both shared a smile before Lapis picked up the pace. Today, they were going to Empire City to check out one of its play, _Lamie_. It would help Lapis for when she auditions for Jamie's play.

A few hours later, they were in the air on the way home. Lapis had a sour look on her face as she flown away from the metropolis. Steven could tell Lapis was not in a good mood. During the play, which was great, there was this guy that wouldn't stop harassing Lapis. At first, he asked for her name and she found no reason to refuse. _"Lapis Lazuli? That's a pretty name. Pretty and unique."_

" _Thank you?"_

He leaned his face a bit too close for her comfort. He asked if she wanted to check out some of the places nearby after the play. Lapis refused, saying that she was with Steven. The guy laughed and found it cute that she was hanging out with a boy. He continued with his proposal and eventually, Steven got involved. The man could not pick up the fact that Lapis was not interested; perhaps he did, but refused to give up. He told the man directly that Lapis was not interested and the guy pushed Steven back to his seat. _"Hey, the grown-ups are talking here."_

That did it. Lapis grabbed the man's wrist and forced him to take his seat as well. "Look, I'm trying to watch the play with MY FRIEND. Bother me again, and I'm going to take action." Lapis found no reason to withhold her powers as she displayed it in front of him. None of the Crystal Gems ever told her that their existence was a secret and that man was being an idiot. One could argue that rather than her display of powers, the man became fearful from the expression on her face; bleak and vacant. The man said not another word as he returned to watching the remainder of the play. He was a pale comparison of his former self, but at least he stopped tormenting Lapis.

"Steven, why was that man so persistent in getting me to go with him? I missed part of the play because of him."

"Well..." Steven began, almost pondering about it, but sort of knew why. "I think it's because you're so pretty Lapis. My dad told me before that some guys are like wolves when they see a pretty girl. They are like animals."

"Jamie's not like that." She quickly commented.

"I know. He's one of the good ones."

"Yeah..." A moment of silence occurred before Lapis added something else. "I want to see him. Now."

"We're almost there and he should've finish his route by now. So you can drop me off home."

"Thanks Steven."

"You're welcome Bob."

"My name is Lapis." She insisted, laughing along with Steven for the remainder of the trip.

 **-End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **-End of Chapter 11**

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Well, I finally wrote a chapter 11 that I'm proud of. I now I have been delaying and delaying the actual auditions, but the next one should be it. Please let me know what you think. -sorrowXdarkness**_


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Steven Universe; hence the fan-fiction. _-sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Chapter 12: The Audition**

 **oooOOOooo**

When I woke up, I smiled upon seeing his face. They were relaxed and quiet, I could barely feel the air pushing out between his lips. I was usually an early riser, but I had no problem staying in bed a bit longer. It gave me the chance to just stare at him as he continued to sleep. Today was his day off, so if he wanted to, he could sleep the morning away. I wouldn't mind. I shifted a bit, before smiling. He still had his grip on my hand. They were light and easy to detach from. Instead of separating, I got closer and adjusted my head until the only sound I could hear, was his heart.

It felt like his body was cradling mine. It felt nice. I was reminded of a scene, where the small human infant cried its heart out, until her mother came and carried her to bed. She held her firmly and lovingly as she sang her baby a lullaby. His heart sang a continual tune. _Am I disturbing his sleep by doing this?_ Before I had a chance to think about it more thoroughly, I felt his unoccupied arm wrapping around me, adjusting to the curve of my back.

"J-Jamie." I whispered, but quickly cringed upon realizing my mistake. He began to mumble. A sign that he was waking up.

"Hm?"

I couldn't see his face as I had my head on his chest, looking across the room. I didn't want to move. _Maybe, if I'm lucky, he would go back to sleep._

"Wha?"

 _Maybe not._ He began to shift, but surprisingly made no gesture to remove me from his body. I could hear the war drums picking up the pace.

"Lapis."

"Yes?" I began to feel the sweats across the side of my face. Anxious as I was, I waited.

"Is this okay with you?"

"Yes."

Jamie let out a sigh. The beating of the drums began to settle down as did mine. "Good."

We stayed I bed all morning talking.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Do you see anybody?" Jamie asked as he and Connie were revising the script one final time before making the copies. Steven was on look-out to see if anyone would come by to audition. The past week was spent in bringing awareness of his play and of the open auditions. With the help of Steven, Connie and Lapis, Jamie passed out flyers to everyone in Beach City. Everyone that resided within the town, were given a flyer and a brief summary of what the play entailed along with directions. Everyone loved the plays that Jamie directed and performed alongside with Steven. They made quite the duo. There was one where even Connie provided her services as she helped behind the stage. Her role since then, was to operate the levers and devices that gave the play its "special effects". As she corrected any misspellings and grammatical errors from Jamie's part, she wore the black shirt with "STAGE MANAGER" with pride. Steven auditioned to every play that Jamie directed. It was no surprise that he was going to do the same this time around, though Jamie would like the rest to audition first. The number of roles presented in this particular play was more than triple the number of roles in his usual plays. That meant that Jamie and Steven, alone, could not do the role of many; even if they were to stretch themselves out to fill the void.

It was highly improbable as deemed by Peridot whom was currently designing some "stage props" to enhance the experience. She was curious in the work that Jamie did to sustain his thirst of pleasure and living so she read a copy of his play. From that, she made some vocal notes of his written play and gave her thoughts on the matter. Jamie could only do so much with the equipment that the mayor provided so Peridot offered her services as well. The technologies given to him were deemed "archaic", at best, which was why she was currently working to upgrade them to outdo the performance of before. Some, of which, she took to the barn to work on with the spare parts that lurked inside. As she worked on that, Steven kept lookout. Even with his best efforts, he did not see anyone on their way to the audition; not yet anyway. Just as he moved his sight on one spot to another, he spotted a figure on the distance. They were walking towards them, and before he knew it, he spotted another a bit further behind. Wait, there was another behind the last until he spotted a group walking.

"Jamie! They're here! I see a bunch of people!" He chimed as he turned to see the director.

"Good." Jamie said with confidence as he and Connie completed the final revision. With that, Connie began to print the copies as the people on the outskirt made their way. "We're practically ready."

"Steven, do you know how many? Right now, we're making 10 copies." Connie said as the papers continued to come out. Once the printer finished printing one copy of the play, Connie and Jamie would take it out and then bind the pages together with staples.

"I think there's like nine of them." He said though found it difficult because he spotted Jenny pushing her twin sister Kiki, which led Kiki to unintentional push someone else. As they got closer, Steven was able to make out who was there aside from the twins. There walking, were Ronaldo, Sadie, Lars, Sadie's mom Barbara, Bucky and Sour Cream. There were actually one less than he thought, which he found was strange. Perhaps it was a simple mistake because everyone were moving about. As they made their way to the stage, Steven began to wonder about Lapis. It was really strange to Steven because she was especially excited.

Ever since she heard about it through Jamie, she secretly began to practice. She read the play like three times. She absolutely loved the play and she really wanted to play the main heroine. Steven and Connie were helping her with her practice: giving her advices, comments, resources.

A week went by and Lapis said that she wanted to surprise Jamie. She told him that she was going to a mission, but would be back by the late evening. What he didn't know, was that her mission was to audition for the main female role of his play. So where was she?

"Alright, now that most of you are here, we can begin." Jamie said as he motioned for Connie to distribute the copies. Once everyone received one, Jamie continued. "Alright, let's start this audition. The first thing we'll do is have Connie give us a brief summary of my play. Without further ado, Connie Maheswaran." Connie stepped up and began to speak. Everyone stood in silence as the stage manager spoke with some sense of authority.

The play was about a woman with whom fell in love with a prince, eventually. The prince had recently lost his mother from an accident. Due to the loss of his wife and beloved queen, the King's health began to dwindle. Eventually, the town too reflected his health. It was speculated by the people that their King would not last another year or two. Something must be done. So an event was formed by the town folks. In the month of May, every woman of marriage age would appear by the lobby of the castle. There, they would try to convince the prince that they were the best choice to marry. This caused a stir around the town folks because of the difficulty and stress placed on the prince who was the judge. Each woman that presented herself to him, spoke of their best attributes. It wasn't until the third day that a young woman living in the outskirt of the town, arrived. She, unlike the rest, was forced to participate. Both of her parents were too ill to work on the land and her older brother suddenly disappeared. This made it very difficult for her and her family as she took the role of a pleasant farmer. Before that, she would work as a teacher in one of the older buildings outside the walls of the town. While working on the land, a few town people spotted her and practically took her from her crops and pushed her through the doors of the building that the prince resided. As she appeared before the prince, and while being looked upon by the other women with scornful eyes, she reluctantly spoke.

She began listing all the bad things about herself and how she could not be the ideal person to marry; mainly so she could return to her crops as quickly as possible. Before her turn, the prince was bored by the second day of listening to each woman listing their best traits. When he heard her listing all the reasons he shouldn't pick her, he became very interested. He listened carefully to every word she spoke and countered them rather easy. He stood up from his throne and asked the woman for her name. She refused, as she was not planning to marry him. That did not stop the prince as he asked her the reason for her refusal. She explained that, as a peasant from outside the walls, she could not hope to match the divinity that emitted from the prince, no matter the efforts. The prince said that she must then perform an act that was "god-like" to prove her own divinity. He told her that she had the next day to think about what her act would be. He also made her promised him that she would do her best.

She knew that she had only one passion in the world, and it was her dancing. As she practiced out her act before performing it to the prince, she failed to noticed the appearance of a woman. It was one of the participant from a noble family with whom felt extremely displeased by what transpired yesterday. As she practiced, something within her appeared. It drove her to push herself further until the sudden urge to win became evident.

When it was time to perform, she danced her heart out. Just as her dance was to come to an end, someone deliberately spilled water on the floor. Upon contact with the slippery liquid, she was on the verge of falling. As she fell, the audience let out a gasp, though her body never dropped to feel the cool ground. The prince rushed though the stage and pulled the woman up to her feet and they began dancing. As they danced, her eyes sparkled as they came to realize the prince and his inner feelings. This jumpstarted the feeling that appeared in her chest as they talked to themselves through the dance. Though she was aware of her feelings, she could not allow the prince to settle with someone as her. The prince insisted that she looked to the audience. Everyone were astonished as they comment how "divine" she was, and how the two felt like they were in a class of their own. The prince spoke as she watched, of how divine she was when they met for the first time and how she refused to see it until now. When they returned to look at each other, the two shared a kiss as the crowd cheered in excitement. The end of the story was reached as the curtain dropped.

"Any questions?" Connie asked as she looked at the people with whom was going to audition for the roles in the play.

"Wow. Jamie, you wrote that?" Kiki asked. Jamie nodded as she embraced him. "And to think, you were some kid that read those boring Shakespearean plays and sonnets." She giggled along with Jamie.

"Of course. Now are you going to audition or what?" He asked.

"I just might." She smiled.

"Do you think they're a couple?" Someone said in a low tone.

Steven and Connie could hear the comment Sadie made. She whispered it, but they were able to hear it without much trouble. Lar shrugged, not really interested in either one of them. Steven and Connie looked at each other sheepishly. They wondered how Lapis would react if she saw them both together like that. Were they always that close to each other? The thought crossed their minds.

"I forget that they're childhood friends." Ronaldo said as he appeared behind them.

"Childhood friends?" "Childhood friends?"

"That's right. They used to hang out all the time. One could easily mistake them as a couple back then. They were that close. Even now, they looked quite the pair."

That did not make them feel any more better.

Both Steven and Connie cringed when they heard a familiar voice. Turning around, they saw Lapis walking toward them.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I'm here to audition too. Is that okay?" Entered a newcomer.

Everyone turned and saw the blue-skin girl. The very same girl that stole the ocean from their precious Beach City only a few months ago. The light ocean breeze blew her dress as she cast her spell in the form of a smile. When she saw Jamie, she gave a quick wave.

"Of course it's okay." Ronaldo said, smiling and blushing. Lapis unintentional enchanted the poor beach blogger with her spell. "None of us has yet to audition."

"Lapis? What are you doing here? Did you finish your mission already?" Jamie asked, rushing toward her and embracing her. He picked her up and twirled her around as she let out series of giggles. It was noted by everyone, including Kiki, who stood where she was, along with Ronaldo as he sharpened is eyes.

"We should really start this audition." Connie insisted, giving off a series of awkward chuckle.

"Oh right." He pulled away, but gave an apologetic smile to Lapis. In return, she gave one filled with understanding. Detaching himself from her, he took his seat in the director's chair and had everyone form a line by the side of the stage; everyone but Kiki went. She, instead, stood next to Jamie. After the first audition with Ronaldo, Lapis discovered that this "Kiki" person had some experience in judging someone's talents too. Alongside with Jamie, she commented on Ronaldo's take.

"Hey Steven..."

Steven looked up. "What's up bob?"

"Who is she and what is her relationship with Jamie?" She gestured with her head. Steven somehow expected this. She said nothing of his nickname of her. Usually she would reply back by saying how her name was "Lapis", finding the name "Bob" distasteful. Now, however, most of her attention were on the two before everyone. They were chatting and laughing, keeping the auditions going smoothly. When one was done, Jamie took some notes down before he called the next one. During that time, that girl added her inputs along with stirring up a separate conversation unrelated to the task on hand.

For some reason, it bothered Lapis as she felt a strange tug on her gem. The smile she once had, slowly became grim and ominous as her eyes became that of fishes.

"Um...that's Kiki. She works at Fish Stew Pizza and she's also a good friend of Jamie's." As he spoke, her eyes began to soften.

"So, they're just friends?"

"Yeah, friends." Steven said, though said nothing more, as they continued to watch both Jamie and Kiki.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

"Hey, I heard you were sick. So being the nice person I am, I decided to come by and visit you." Kiki began, smiling upon seeing his face. Despite the exhaustion, he felt revive upon seeing an old friend. She still kept the style of hair as she did all those years along with that apron.

Jamie answered the door still covered in his blanket. "Thanks, though you didn't have to do that. Won't your father be mad if you skip on your shift?"

"Don't worry about it. I convinced Jenny to take my spot for half an hour."

"No way...how you managed that?" Anyone that knew the twins so well, knew that Jenny was the one to take advantage of her twin; not the other way around.

"Simple. I asked."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, believe it. I wouldn't be here if she didn't say yes." She had her hands beside her hips, leaning forward. Her stance was intended to intimidate Jamie a bit, but Jamie pretended to not be interested and unaffected.

"Fine. I believe you. Thanks for visiting." Opening one of his eyes, he looked at the girl standing there before him. She still had that smile. He also noticed the extrusion of muscles, most likely from delivering pizzas all across town. Although it may be rude, the sudden thought of her beating him in arm-wrestling appeared in the back of his mind.

"You're welcome. Did you eat yet?"

"No, but it's on its way. I'm having it brought here."

"Really? Got yourself a servant or something?"

"No. A roommate actually."

"Oh. Someone I know?"

He could still by the sparkle in her eyes that she was highly interested in knowing. Why? Perhaps it may have something to do with whether the "roommate" was boy or girl. If it was a boy, then there was nothing to worry about. If they turned out to be a girl─ why did it matter?

"Maybe. Her name is Lapis. Lapis Lazuli."

 **End of Omake**

 **oooOOOooo**

 **End of Chapter 12**

 **Author's Notes: There you have it.** **Trouble in Paradise? So soon? Let's see how Lapis Lazuli handle the sudden appearance of jealousy as I try to bring out more between her and Jamie as well as Jamie and his friendship with Kiki. _-_ _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **P.S. I'm really sorry for taking so long. As I mentioned before, I have found writing to become more difficult to do this summer. I found that I require getting into the "groove" to begin writing, and if lost, then the writing ceased. I hope this condition does not last for much longer. I already began the next chapter, so I hope to finish it (including proofread it) for next Sunday. _-_ _sorrowXdarkness_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Nice, I managed to finish this chapter on time. I'm planning to update this story at least once every two weeks. Please let me know how I am doing. _-sorrowXdarknes_ _s_**

 **I do not own Steven Universe; hence the fan-fiction. _-sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Roommates**

 **Chapter 13: My Fair Warning**

 **oooOOOooo**

"Everyone, please." The director called out. His voice gave out a force that brought him their attention. "We need to start right away." The first day of practice, and everyone that made the cut was there. Ronaldo was not given a role in the story per se, but instead, played a nameless narrator. Jamie noted two things about Ronaldo that influenced his decision. Ronaldo was loud and bursting to be heard. He had something innate that prevented him from playing a complicated role, but crafted enough to lead the audience along with his stories. Kiki commented that it may have something to do with his blogs and desire to report the weirdness within their fair town.

The next was Jenny. She could barely remember a line, much less two words from the play, but she knew how to swirl her body around. She didn't plan to audition, but her sister insisted. There was no way Jenny could refuse a favor from her favorite twin. With some highly appreciative inputs from her twin sister, Jamie congratulated Jenny with the role of a nameless character that danced around toward the end. Her job was to simply remember the waltz and to look as affluent as possible.

This was where Bucky came in. Bucky had a low and mature voice that could captivate someone if heard. He was an individual preaching to his friends (ironically like his father to the town folks) the difficulties he has being the mayor's son. With a little alteration of his wardrobe, he could play the old gentleman that would dance with Jenny at the end, and the King/father of the prince. Surprisingly he agreed for the responsibilities of both roles, saying he was simply returning the favor he owed Steven for all the times he saved him and his friends.

Sour Cream didn't exactly audition, but Jamie noted his posture and sleek appearance. A fine specimen to play a nobleman thought Jamie. Sour Cream simply shrugged his shoulders finding words to be beneath him. With no resistance of any kind, Jamie cast him as a nobleman and a guard to the King.

Peridot would be controlling all the props on stage. Props she customized to work with her tablet that was constantly floating in the air. With the primitive technology of bluetooth, everything could be done wirelessly and with ease. Then again, there was a bug or two that needed fixing. Either way, he thanked the small gem for all her efforts, and commented on how well it would turn out in the night of the performance.

With Peridot controlling the props, that gave Connie more leverage to direct everything from behind the scenes. Even now, she was making lists and checking them off once they were completed. She wore a headset that connected her with Peridot who was also wearing a similar one, in case they were far apart; courtesy of her parents.

Everything seemed to be coming together for Jamie. Each person he spoke to, filled a gap in his play. Each character would eventually bring out his total creation and the seed of joy was planted in his stomach. He walked over to his backstage manager, and checked the list with her. Most of the minor roles were filled, and what remained was the three: the curious Prince, the jealous noblewoman and the unexpected pauper.

He already had decided two of the three roles, and felt it would be productive to at least give those roles out already. He called for both Kiki and Lapis from the rest. Both girls came upon his request, and waited.

 **oooOOOooo**

Lapis held her copy of the play in her hand tightly. Tears were free to drip when she heard the news directly from the director's mouth. His decision spoke so much inside her that it swelled her chest until it ruptured. Her legs gave way as she quickly cried her heart out. Her mind couldn't completely process the information because part of her felt the blow, but another part didn't. It was through this incomplete experience that left her on the ground, dazed. The scene abruptly startled everyone as they turned to her with concern.

"Lapis! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Jamie asked as he quickly bent down and cradled her close. When she drew enough strength to settle her eyes onto his, she managed to speak. Everyone was within range of her voice as she spoke.

"I'm simply very happy right now. You have no idea how important that role is for me." As she spoke, the strand of mirth was woven in every word.

Flattered as Jamie was, surprised was the victor. He never thought that Lapis would react in this matter. His plays were below par against the many small and independent ones across the country. The most views he got were the people that already lived there and with whom he knew their names by heart. Aside from them, perhaps one or two travelers that happened to be there.

So for Lapis to react like that, well, Jamie couldn't help himself upon what he did next. He brushed the stream until not a single drop was apparent on her face.

"Perhaps the lady would like a chair to assist those tired legs of hers. Walking as much as you did could easily tire out a marathon runner."

"My, aren't you the kind one. Mother mentioned this town had two different classes of men: a beast and a gentle one. I pray you are the latter."

Jamie smiled upon hearing Lapis catching on with his skit. They walked toward the nearest chair, wearing unfamiliar faces. Jamie pulled the chair and gestured her to rest.

"A chair befitting for a lady of your class."

"Thank you. You are kind as you are handsome. "

"The lady certainly have sharp eyes with this sort of thing, but does she have a soft heart?"

"That depends...what do you have in mind?" By now, Lapis had her legs crossed, smiling as she stared at Jamie. Jamie shut his eyes for a moment. It was within that time that he gathered his composure and continued with the performance. Opening his eyes, he got to his knees and reached out his hands. They stretched out and took hold of one of hers without resistance.

"You. Me. Dinner tonight at seven. Only the stars and moon would be our audience. What say you?"

"Maybe..." Her heart raced in excitement. This sudden re-enactment of a scene in a film was without planning, but somehow, they brought it out. A gentleman of the city meeting with a noble girl visiting the country. The only thing against them was time, and her advisor handpicked by her father. "I may have to check with my advisor before I could give you a response."

"Then I hope for an opening in your schedule and in your heart." He bestowed a kiss onto her knuckles before gently returning the hand to its rightful owner. It was enough for that moment before he retracted his steps. The distance between them represented the obstacle they had to overcome. They will overcome that barrier. For now, they had to settle with that.

A moment of silence was in place. They looked into each other eyes before closing them. The performance was over, but it was above pleasant for the both of them. Their eyes opened upon the sounds of clapping. They turned to the source and found everyone else applauding.

"Jamie! Lapis! That was amazing!" Steven chimed, clapping along with the rest.

"Yeah! You two were really into it." Connie added, standing beside Steven. Everyone shared a similar expression on their face as the applause continued.

Jamie and Lapis looked to each other before turning and bowing to the rest. "I'm still expecting a fine dinner from you."

"Naturally."

That small stunt they did, ignited something within the cast as they became more lively and determined. It was a good first day of the production.

 **oooOOOooo**

The first day of practice turned out to be mostly productive. Unlike Lapis, everyone else was studying their lines and gestures within the play. Jamie explained to them the importance of remembering their lines, but also in the improv. Actors on stage were expected to adapt to practically anything, including the sudden loss of the play in their head. Their mind, presumably a haven for memories, was not without its flaws. Sometime the information would get lost in the transcription, making it impossible to retrieve. Such things called for the skills of the person to continue with the show without disrupting the flow.

As he and Lapis were making their way home, Lapis leaned her body closer to Jamie. The night sky gave them a wonderful scene as they went past the shoreline of the beach. Jamie was kind enough to carry her sandals once again. She really enjoyed the feeling of the sands beneath her feet. Now that they were alone, Lapis could begin.

"Jamie..."

"Yes?"

"Have you consider it yet?"

"It hasn't been even a day and you're asking that now?" Both Lapis and Jamie smiling at each other; another whimsical conversation perhaps.

"Yes. Come on. You're perfect for the role. Must I remind you that everyone suggested it and you're an actor as well?"

True to Lapis' words, everyone (minus Ronaldo and Kiki mind you) suggested that Jamie should play the prince. The role was vacant and Jamie was the only one left without a role.

"I'm also the director... I don't know."

"Well I do. I read your play like three times, and you're perfect for the role of the prince. It would make me so happy if we could be on the play together. Please?"

Jamie knew what was coming next. Around the same time they became a couple, Lapis acquired a skill that was highly effective on Jamie. Once activated, she practically has control of Jamie though only for a short duration. He quickly looked away. The stare of the Gorgon was fatal after all; it only took one look.

"You're doing that face again, aren't you?"

"No I'm not."

"I think you are."

"No I'm not."

"Zeus, give me strength." He responded, using simply his will to refrain from looking.

"Jamie, please look at me." That did it. He returned his sight on the ocean gem, but quickly regretted his decision. Her eyes stared openly as he could see the blue hue from her iris. Her lips was tightened in a matter that demanded an appeal. Her hands were latched together to give that final thrust to the ram until it managed to break the fortified gate down, allowing passage to his heart.

"Arruggh! Fine. I'll do it."

"Thank you!" She lunged forward and embraced the thespian tightly. His weight mattered not as she lifted him off the ground with ease and twirled him around. Jamie was surprised, but quickly recovered when his feet touched the ground again. Now standing once again, he felt the tingling sensation upon the side of his face. "Seriously, thank you." Lapis said after bestowing him a small kiss. Lapis stood before him sweetly. No one could compete in her adorableness as Jamie's heart felt a storm coming.

"Ahem."

Both of them turned and spotted someone in the dark. They were standing with their hands on their hips as their sight was directed toward them.

"Kiki?" Jamie began. "Is there something you need from us?"

Kiki shook her head before walking closer to them. "No. I need to talk to you. Just you." Her eyes shifted to Lapis for a bit before returning to them to Jamie. "Is that okay?"

Jamie was curious, but found no reason to reject Kiki's request. We are close to our home anyway, he thought. "Lapis, could you go on ahead. I'll be home soon." He passed her sandals to her.

Lapis' previous seventh heaven disappeared upon Kiki's arrival. That human girl ruined the moment. She appeared before them, and requesting an exclusive audience with Jamie. Why? The question rang in Lapis' mind, but she nodded to Jamie as she took her shoes. Reluctantly. From what she learned from Steven, she should trust Jamie. He never gave her a reason to doubt before, so there was no reason to start now. Before she left, one thing was in order. She tiptoed herself up and gave Jamie another quick kiss on the cheek before smiling at him. She gave one last glance at the girl, only to be matched by the girl in question. Is she challenging me, thought Lapis. A connection was established as they glared at each other before Lapis turned away.

When Lapis got far enough, Kiki turned her attention to Jamie. Jamie was in utter confusion by what just transpired. Both girls seemed to be battling with each other by eye contact alone. Kiki reverted to her usual expression; at least whenever she was around Jamie.

"Is everything alright?" He began.

"I should be asking you that."

"Why? I'm great." _I've never been so happy in my life._

His response did nothing as Kiki displayed a worrisome expression. "Do you remember what we talked about?" She asked.

Jamie pondered, but understood what she was referring to. The time when Kiki made her visit to his humble abode, she was simply checking on him. She knew throughout the years that most of Jamie's afflictions was due to stress. If Jamie missed his delivery route because he was sick, it was almost a given that it was because he was stressed about something. When she found out that he had a roommate, and above all HER, she was almost sure the source of the frustration was from HER.

 _"Lapis Lazuli? The person that stole our water?_ _That's who is living with you?_ _"_

 _"_ _Well yes, but she returned the water back."_

 _"Why is someone as dangerous as her living with you?"_

 _"_ _It's a personal favor from Steven and she's not dangerous."_

 _"_ _How do you know that? She could easy destroy our city with the beach."_

 _"Because I know her. These past few weeks, I got to know a side of her that no one else, not even Steven, knows about. She's a friend."_

The conversation quickly shifted when Kiki found her concern over the matter falling in deaf ears. The urge to scream that SHE was the reason why Jamie was sick was suppressed. She decided to let it be, for now. Something changed. They were more than roommates, evident by what she saw at the auditions.

"Yes I do. What of it?"

"Jamie, please. I'm only worried about what she could do to you if angered."

"You should get to know her before saying that. So please stop talking about my girlfriend that way."

Kiki was flabbergasted. She knew it, but hearing it from him didn't stop the full effect. "So you are dating her."

"Yes."

Silence filled the gap between them as they stood there at night. Eventually Kiki turned the other way, her back toward Jamie, sighing. "Fine. I'll give her a chance." Her arms were crossed, but Jamie appreciated the effort.

"Really?" Jamie was excited to hear that from her.

"Yes yes, so you can go back to her now. Just please promise me you'll talk to me if you're having any problems concerning her."

"Alright, I promised."

Upon hearing that, Kiki turned. Quickly as a cheetah, she gave a quick hug before running off. "I'll give you a call on when she and I will hang out. Goodnight!"

Before he could return the gesture, he lost sight of her.

"Night." He found himself saying.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **End of Chapter 13**

 **Omake:**

"Are you going to bed?"

Jamie jolted, surprised for the sudden intrusion. Standing by the frame of the door, was Lapis Lazuli. Her small figure adjacent to the doorway reminded Jamie of their newfound relationship. Part of him still couldn't believe that Lapis actually selected him. To him, she was simply beautiful. Everything fascinated her, and it was this child-like wonder she had that brought his heart to its knees.

"In a minute. I'm going through my notes from the auditions."

Lapis shifted her gaze from him to the stack of papers on his desk. My, how curious could a cat be when she knew they would determine her role for his play. Light as a feather and silent as the night, little Lappy slowly approached from behind. His distraction was her opportunity; his back, her amusement. Staring with wistful eyes, Lapis' focus began to change.

Originally for the papers, her sights fell now to his broad shoulders. A particular scene from an old film reminded Lapis of what a lady did when her man was too captivated in his work. Bending down, Lapis stared one final time at the face belonging to Jamie before making her move.

"PPHTHHPTHPFFTHPPPPPPPPT" "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Lapis snickered, delighted by what transpired. It was a simple trick of the lips. No harm done. The flash of red upon Jamie's face as he now stood was definitely worth the effort. Holding a hand over the spot where Lapis blew a raspberry, Jamie attempted to compose himself. The sudden vibration along the touch of moist lips on neck would surprise anyone.

"Lapis...please... I'm very sensitive there."

"Really?" Lapis made a note of how surprisingly un-vexed her actions had on him. Almost as if he actually enjoyed it. That only made her actions the more permissible in her book. It was definitely something to remember for later.

"Yes..." Jamie could only look away. His heart couldn't lay still and no amount of pressure could keep it in place. He needed a distraction. Something to capture his attention long enough for his heart to settle down. It came to him when he felt a tug on his arm.

"Please come to bed. I really miss having you."

She tugged some more, and Jamie willfully followed her to her room. Jamie marveled the strength Lapis possessed despite her frame. Definitely stronger than me, he noted. Pulling Jamie in, she pushed him down and fell through on top of him. The sharing of bed was still sort of new to them both, but the unfamiliar territory it brought both excited and scared them.

Since the first time, Lapis felt she could not longer sleep a night without his presence nearby; above all his scent. She was certainly the energetic one of the two as she giggled in delight. Hearing the cried of laughter, Jamie became loose. There was no need to be so anxious, not with Lapis on top of him. Then again, it was hard to keep up with her antics he was beginning to notice. Still.

"Lapis."

"Hm?"

Silence. Nothing came after her verbal response. After a little while, she lifted her head. The moment passed by, and she felt a pair of lips making contact with her sense sponge and the rest was over.

"No fair."

 **oooOOOooo**

 **-End of Omake**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Chapter 13 completed. What do you think? Kiki's concern over Jamie's well-being may be problematic for Lapis. Will they be friends? Or rivals? Oh, and what did you think about the omake? _-sorrowXdarkness_**


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fanfiction'. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Steven Universe- Roommates**

 **Chapter 14: Making a Friend**

 **oooOOOooo**

"Jamie!"

Jamie turned and saw Barbara walking toward him. Today was another glorious day as a mail carrier. He woke up, had breakfast with his lovely girlfriend and left their place in a bliss. Every morning before he left the front door, he would receive a quick kiss from her. Despite the amount of times they kissed, every kiss they shared felt as fulfilling as the first. Nothing felt mechanical. Every gesture she made toward him, was made with emotional intent. Her gem represented the reservoir that required the daily reciprocal affections from a particular thespian source. He was happy. She was happy. Happiness was like a cloud that hovered over them, providing the apparent forecast of their days to be.

"Hey Barb. Still doing morning delivery I see." Jamie punched in for work and walked alongside Barbara who did the same. They were the usual mail carriers of Beach City and were quite proud of it. Everyone knew each other, and what came with the job (beside the task on hand) was the appreciation from all their friends and family. Barbara was actually the one that got Jamie into the group when he became able. So in a way, she represented Jamie as his mentor. Everything he learned, he learned directly under Barbara's eyes. She made sure to instill everything she could as if he was her own child. They went toward the back of the building to pick up their satchels and routes.

"Of course! Someone has to delivery these mails on time. Besides, it beats watching tv at home every day."

Jamie smiled. Barbara was indeed someone unable to not work. In fact, the day she died would be the day she worked for the final time. Even through the processing of the inevitable, she would probably power on through and deliver the mail. "I see..." Barbara always did things her way. Whatever it was, she did with maximum effort. A trait that became surprisingly fearful for both children of Barb (the biological and artificial).

"Oh, and I heard from a very reliable source that you got yourself a lady friend. Huh?" Barb said while lightly jagging his chest with her elbow. She smiled upon seeing the cherry marks across his face. Despite the years he had grown, he was a still boy at heart; innocent and sincere.

"Gee, I wonder who could have told you that..." There were only a few people, meaning it could be anyone in town. It only took one spark to start a forest fire.

"Does it matter? Heck no!" She slapped the backside of Jamie's body. Jamie kept the apparent pain within and gave a slightly tensed smile. "So tell me, is she really pretty?"

How could he even begin? Before they even became a unit, he saw the good and beauty in her. Her sincerity as they shook hands upon living together, gave him clarity. The one of many as he continued to dive into that seemingly endless pit. Her persona was no facade, but he could tell the tension within her that piled up through the many years she lived. Like an onion, he managed to peel the many layers of her gem, finding the monstrous and gruesome fate she endured.

Did he find her ugly? Did he pity her for her terrible experience? No. When they got together, under one house, under one room and above all, under one bed, he held her. His arms conformed to the shape of her body as they tightly kept her onto his person. He kissed her. Their lips both melted and molded. There was hardly a push or tug, but aspiration there was plenty. Unknown territory came with its fear, but they persisted. Perseverance was not a skill under one, but rather shared by two. They only had to remind each other and themselves, that their feelings were not simply given. They were interpreted and actualized. What they did together as roommates, gave them an opportunity for more. She gave him more. Eventually, he had to do the same. No matter his past torture with the auburn princess. The fall was over. Winter was here.

"Pretty? She's beautiful." He could clearly imagine her face in front of him. Her eyes were like the ocean blue that sparkled like the reflection of the sun from the water. Her lips resembled blueberries in term of color and in sweetness. Above all, her expression that filled her face with a tremendous azure streak. He would dare not look away. It was the uttermost beauty. Purely stunning and simple adorable, Jamie felt the need to capture that somehow. Every time he close his eyes, he could see the many variations of that expression. If he had to choose which memories to retain, let them be those.

There was also her touch from her fingers. She had a pianist's hands; delicate and precise. When they lay in a bad, she would sometime explore his body with her hands. She felt the groove marks on each of his hands several times along with his chest. He normally had a shirt when going to bed, but even with the fabric covering his skin, she still brushed her hand across. Her giggles knew no bound. They filled him with much glee as they snorted.

 _Whack_

"Ow!" Jamie said, rubbing the throbbing pain above his cranium. Barbara retracted her arm upon seeing the success in her action.

"You were doing it again." Barbara said, staring at him. Whenever he goes to the "Drama Zone" or simply contemplate, all outside forces became nonexistent. All except for pain, hence the bump on the noggin.

"Sorry..."

Barbara peered through her eyes, seeing how apologetic the mailman was. Then again, she could see how bashful his face was being. Probably from processing the question, and experiencing whatever it was once again. "Don't be. I got to see a pretty stunning face from you kid." They picked up their satchels and route on paper, and were about to depart. "She must be pretty special for you then."

"She is."

Barbara chuckled. Jamie was beaming a wonderful smile, whether he realized it or not. "So, are you thinking about marrying her yet?"

Before he could answer, the bell rang. The time for chitchat was over. They both nodded to each other before leaving the edifice.

Taking opposing directions, Jamie began to think about Barbara's question. Marriage. The unification that bound two people together. Honestly, the thought did occur to him a few times. They were sleeping, but his mind could not succumb to the sandman's will. He felt a mess of feelings. He was happy. He was ecstatic. What he wanted was simple. He wanted more. That meant he needed to give more. Lapis needed to know. He wanted her to know. Only then could he prepare the proposal of his lifetime. That and the consumption of time. There was no need to dash through. It was only two months since her arrival. They were facing their first month as a unit and despite the amount of layers peeled, there was many more to explore. Even though his thought process ended on that note, he couldn't help but to imagine Lapis in a wedding dress.

It was going to be truly a sight to behold.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Are you sure this is alright?"

"Of course it is. You got the invitation, right?"

"Yeah, but you didn't."

"Fine. I guess I should leave before they arrive."

"No! I mean, I'm sure they won't mind."

"Okay. So where are we going?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a walk around the city? I'm not really sure what teenagers do for fun."

They pondered on that. Their only reference they had, was their soap opera they watched during their time together at the barn. Still, did it depicted how teenagers actually were? The setting was different, and the original airing of the show was well before the early 2000s (human's timeline). Before they knew it, a group of teens were heading toward their direction. It all started yesterday.

Kiki suddenly approached Lapis after the end of a practice day. She reached out her hand, saying her name in a friendly matter. Lapis understood the gesture of Kiki's hand (thanks to Steven). She took it warmly and recited the phrase as per Steven's instruction.

"Lapis Lazuli. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kiki smiled. "Truth to be told, I don't quite trust you. I don't even like you, but we both have something in common."

"We do?"

Kiki nodded. "I know Jamie for over ten years. He's like the brother I never had." Kiki noticed the confusion that swirled around the blue gem's mind. "The point being, I know when something is up; and there is."

Lapis understood though only partially. "Are you saying he's not happy with me?" Lapis had a sour expression that was directed toward the girl. There was also the implication that the root cause of his suffering fell on Lapis, but before her mind could lead her toward that idea, Kiki stepped in.

"No, he's definitely happy with you. It's actually making me jealous." Kiki revealed, feeling a bit bashful. She preferred not to talk about it in front of her sister and friends, but Lapis was about to take action. When she made a fist, Kiki's instinct kicked in. With a genuine smile, yet small, Kiki spoke her intentions. "I want to be friends with you for Jamie's sake, but more importantly, I want to know if I can trust you. Jamie's heart and welfare comes first in my book. If you make it worse, then I won't be holding back."

That certainly startled Lapis. Why on earth would she hurt Jamie in any way? Quite the opposite really. She wanted to smother him in joy and utter bliss. He deserved nothing less. "I love Jamie. He's the reason I managed to settled down on this planet. He is what gives me strength to try anything, including acting." Lapis had her hand on her bosoms, feeling the pulsation of her being as she did her declaration. "I want nothing more, but to be with him. **FOREVER.** "

Kiki looked at Lapis and her stance. Did she understand what she was saying? They carried many implications, that led Kiki to wonder how far have they progressed in their relationship. Something must be said. "Isn't it too soon to be talking about marriage? You two just got together, right?"

"I don't know what that is, but if it means the eternal unification of Jamie and I, then **YES**." Lapis said. The power of Bashful was immense. She tried to conceal his effects, but one stood mightier than the rest as it danced across her face with such an azure zing.

It was earned by a gasping Kiki. "Oh my goodness." She clamped her mouth with her hands. "That's way too early for that!" She said, pressing her hands on Lapis' shoulders firmly. "Don't you know that most humans wait for an average of five years after being in a relationship before getting married. **DON'T DISRUPT THE NATURAL FLOW OF THINGS!** " Kiki demanded, shaking Lapis around; a gesture that resembled a young girl shaking her rag doll around.

That only made Lapis to swim further into the pool of confusion. Did what she say not made sense? Was it not natural to wish eternal fusion between two beings that loved one another? She was sure that Jamie felt the very same.

"Girl, we need to educate you with some basic human concepts. First, marriage is not to be discussed so early in the relationship. Most guys would run away with the mere sound of the word."

"Jamie isn't like most guys." Lapis declared. Her tone made a sudden impact on Kiki's chest. What she said, was deemed fact. The source of verification was displayed in Lapis' eyes. This can't be happening, thought Kiki.

"You hardly talk to any human beside Jamie, Steven and Connie. Right?" Kiki said, ignoring what Lapis just said; for now.

"Yes?"

"Then how about tomorrow, we'll go out with some friends. They're mostly my sister's friends, but I go out with them from time to time."

Lapis agreed, which brought them back to their current predicament. Those friends were around Lapis and Kiki's physical structure (height), making Peridot upset right off the bat.

"Why do I have to go?" A rather large man said, trying to pull away from Kiki's grip.

"Because, you owe me for giving you the password to my dad's wifi for his restaurant." Kiki said, dragging Ronaldo like an upset toddler.

"Hey y'all" Kiki's lookalike said with a small wave. "This here is my friend, Sour Cream. Buck couldn't come because of some last minute meeting that his dad wanted him to attend."

"So Ronaldo is here to take his place." Kiki said, adding to what her sister just spoke.

"Why do I even have to be here? There's no-" Ronaldo turned to noticed Peridot. "Oh my gosh! You're that smart alien from the rehearsal. I wanted to talk to you since day one." He said, pushing his way to stand before her.

"Really?" Peridot asked. Why on stars would anyone human want to talk to the great and lovable Peridot? He was obvious excited, as he took out a notepad and pencil.

"Of course! You're amazing! If possible, I would love to do a special segment on you for my blog." Ronaldo said, earning a giggly Peridot. Lapis smiled when she saw how comfortable Peridot felt in talking about herself despite how inaccurate her characterization of herself was. Before she knew it, she shifted her attention to Kiki as Kiki did the same.

The group decided to try out a few places nearby. Their first stop was at Mr. Smiley's Arcade by the boardwalk. When asked, both Peridot and Lapis shook their head no. They went to many places in the past, most of them with Steven like Funland Carnival, the cities nearby and even to a "mall". Kiki led the group as she latched herself onto Lapis. Surprised and confused, Lapis simply shrugged her shoulders. Kiki was Jamie's best friend, so she didn't mind being dragged around by her.

Although originally worried for her fellow gem friend, Lapis sighed. When given a chance, she turned her head to see Peridot continual explanation of their anatomy to Ronaldo. Throughout the entire conversation, Lapis could hear Ronaldo endless chuckle that somehow reminded her of Peridot's annoying and even more endless chuckle. As they continued their walk, Lapis overheard the rest talking about a new game that was recently added in the arcade.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. It's some kind of dancing game. Right?" Jenny asked, receiving a nod from Sour Cream. That quickly attracted Lapis' attention.

"Dancing game?"

"Yeah, it's pretty popular. We should give it a try." Jenny said, noticing Lapis sudden change in expression.

"Sure, it's a good start." Kiki said, feeling Lapis picking up the pace and was now doing the tugging. The way Lapis' eyes began to sparkle left Kiki to smile. Maybe there was a reason why Jamie fell in love with Lapis. Kiki pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she returned to a somewhat excited Lapis. It never occurred to her that the blue gem girl had an interest in dancing. She regained control as she reminded Lapis that she didn't know the way, but commented how much she liked her enthusiasm.

"We're all pretty excited to try out that new game. Right everyone?"

Everyone cheered; well except for Ronaldo who was still jotting down everything he could about what he learned from the little green gem. When they finally arrived, Peridot was amazed by the electronics within that building. The sound of working electrical circuits and the wonderful light emitted by the expanded glass tubes around each contraction made for a happy and excited Peridot.

Lapis, on the other hand, kept her focus on looking for that dance game. All she could see, were the many sea of people hugging around the different stations. There were barely any room to move ahead, much less see. "I don't see it." She said openly as the feel of disappointment was spread around her face.

"See what?" Kiki asked.

"That game we were talking about."

"Oh that...they usually keep the new games all the way in the back. Come on." Kiki said, making their way through the many people and contractions in the building. Lapis looked around and found that the deeper they went, the more lights she saw and fewer the people. It seemed like most of the regular customers already established their choice of games; most of which were intentional positioned toward the front. As the surrounding space became bigger and bigger in vacancy, so did the suspense. Lapis could feel her gem lighting up any moment; something that could actually collide well with the lights around. When they stopped, she knew that they finally arrived. The station accounted for about 5 of the other stations. It was bigger than Lapis imagined.

"Oh snap, we're here. Dance and Dance 4." Jenny said, reading the name on top of a banner. It read that a total of two players may participants in BATTLE MODE.

Lapis' eyes resembled stars as she looked at the station. Each player had a pad with different symbols on the floor with metal rails covering half the small parameters. In front of them were two huge long screens that displayed **WAITING FOR PLAYERS.**

Before she could take a step forward, a pair of twins approached the station first.

"Want to give it a shot?" Kiki asked politely.

Jenny smiled as she stared at her sister. "Girl, do you even have to ask?"

Both girls walked up the small staircase, cheered by their group as they stood in each step pad. They looked at each other with a smile before inserting two coins into the machine.

 **PLAYER 1 FOUND PLAYER 2 FOUND**

 **CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY**

They both picked medium; surprisingly at the same time.

 **CHOOSE YOUR SONG**

Lapis held her inflated cheeks, trying to find within herself to cheer them along with the rest as the twins were discussing what song to dance to. After making their pick, they both waited for the actual game to start. Peridot was making analyze of the station and how surprisingly amusing the simple, yet primitive, game was. As the music began, so did the step symbols on the screen.

Lapis, despite her disappointment of not going first, realized she knew not what to expect. With the twins going first, she could take mental notes on how to play the game before she finally took a turn. For every step on the screen that appeared, both players had to press the corresponding symbols. At first, Lapis thought it would be boring since the objective was simply to press the symbols, but then she found that it also involved moving in a certain way that made the whole process ran more fluently. Kiki and Jenny did more than pressing buttons, they were dancing while performing it. Lapis found that both girls were synchronized as they moved exactly the same matter and the same tempo. Both with smiles on their faces as they continued to progress through the song. After well over three minutes, drips of sweat could be seen on their faces until finally it was over.

 **Player 1- 1050 pts**

 **Player 2- 1050 pts**

"Oh shoot. Tied again." Jenny said, disappointed.

"Well, maybe next time." Kiki said, not too upset herself.

"At least none of us lost."

"True."

Both girls stepped down as they were given a round of applauds from everyone nearby; including their group. Lapis clapped softly as she waited for them to completely leave the station.

"My turn!" She chimed excitedly as she climbed up. She had enough of Peridot and her vocal observations. She turned to her right as she saw her competitor going up the stairs himself. He didn't seem all that enthusiastic as she was. Instead, he kept his cool as he pulled out his sweater and left it by the metal rails. He positioned himself as he got out two coins from his pants.

Lapis then realized something. "Wait! I don't have a coin." How disappointing, she thought. Without a coin, she was not able to participate. Steven gave a brief explanation on how human use coins and green papers to perform different transactions. They somehow held monetary value determined by the majority. Apparently one must work in order to obtain said money, but Lapis did not work.

"Don't worry, I got you covered." Kiki said, putting out two coins and giving them to Lapis.

"Thank you!" Lapis said happily.

Kiki couldn't help but to be flushed. Lapis, in a sense, reminded Kiki of a young child or perhaps even a foreigner amazed by what their country had to offer. "You're welcome."

Inserting her coins, she turned to her competitor with Sour Cream nodding as he did the same.

 **PLAYER 1 FOUND**

 **PLAYER 2 FOUND**

 **CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY**

Lapis turned to Sour Cream as he simply gave a shrug. Kiki shouted out that Sour Cream was up for anything. Nodding, Lapis decided to pick medium (like Kiki and Jenny before them) to get a feel of it.

 **CHOOSE YOUR SONG**

Unfamiliar with the selections, Lapis allowed Sour Cream to choose.

 **Alright dancers, are you ready? 3...2...1...DANCE!**

 **oooOOOooo**

Bored. I was completely bored today. I found that I had nothing to do at all. I got a new car imported from Europe, courtesy of my dad, and I was still bored. I decided to talk around the boardwalk to see how I would spend my time. Passing by the arcade, I found a bunch of people huddling close toward the back. Some that were walking by (like myself) were talking about some girl that was really killing it in the game. Curious, I began to make my way to the back. Everyone was so hyped up by this, that I wondered if it was some sort of celebrity in Beach City. Pushing my way through the crowed with ease (even ecstatic, they knew to move aside when I was walking). I finally made it to the center.

I found myself standing by the dance machine that recently came out. _So this was what everyone was excited about?_ I turned to notice Jenny and her group.

"Hey babe, what's going on here?" I asked, pushing forward my charm at the girl. She noticed my glorious presence and rolled her eyes. God, she was so obviously into me. She was trying too hard to detest me.

"Nothing much. Just showing some new people the arcade. She's really good at it too."

I saw how impressed Jenny was. I turned to see the two that were dancing. I spotted Sour Cream dancing. He seemed a bit frantic; trying to keep up with the beat. We battled before, and even I found him to be a challenge. What surprised me the most was how much he was struggling. He usually kept it at his pace, but someone must be really doing good to get the tempo up.

"Go Lapis!" I heard the crowd saying. _Lapis?_ Standing there above at the player 1 spot was a weird blue girl. I only said "weird" because her skin, dress and hair were blue. That was the only thing strange about her. Somehow through the chaos of the crowd and the speed and difficulty of the game, she held a strong smile as she continued to match the beat perfectly. She had over 200 perfect com- _247 combos!_ The number only got higher. I leaned closer, intrigued and saw something. She was actually having fun. Not a bead of sweat on her face. She was surprisingly barefoot as she continued to dance.

She was wicked pretty as she flaunted her hair around; left to right, and right to left.

"Cute."

"Huh?" I turned and saw some beach junkie looking at her. He was clearly infatuated with her. He was nowhere at her level. _But I am..._ I smiled. I found what to do for today.

 **PERFECT GAME**

 **Player 1 WINS**

Everyone roared at the amazing display by the new girl. Sour Cream struggled to get down as buckets of sweat fell from his entire body.

Wheezing, he managed to speak. "M-Man...half an hour straight and not a single mistake. Mah mah mah mahmah mah mah. I need to take a seat man."

The girl came down and met with Jenny's group. Jenny came and embraced the new girl as she was showered by many compliments by everyone. Her sister appeared before to help the tired loser.

"Oh my stars, that was really fun." The girl said. "Anyone else wants to give it a shot?" She asked her group. Peridot and Ronaldo shook their heads, along with everyone else. Lapis was a little "too advanced" for them.

This was my opportunity. _Kevin lived to challenge himself._ "I challenge you to a dance off." I pointed at the new girl. For a moment, I was stunned by her eyes. Even they were blue.

"So, do you think you can beat Kevin in an endless dance off?" I asked.

Everyone was whispering around us, already excited for the upcoming match. The girl, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled by my approach as I saw Jenny whispering to her ear.

"Oh. You want to play too?"

"Play? Babe, I want to share a dance...and win." I presented her with my winning smile; displaying my wonderful set of teeth.

"Okay?" She seemed unfazed by my smile. Maybe she was more nervous than I thought.

"Don't play poker with me now. I know you want a piece of the Kevin."

Jenny whispered again. The girl nodded, understanding what was said through Jenny as she received two coins from her. "I'll take on your challenge Mr. Kevin."

"Alright. Ready when you are."

We both stood in our spot as we inserted our coins.

 **PLAYER 1 FOUND**

 **PLAYER 2 FOUND**

 **CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY**

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm picking expert."

 **CHOOSE YOUR SONG**

Being the generous person I was, I allowed her to pick out any song from the list. The crowd became even rowdier than before as they all realized who was now dancing; me. Taking one last look at the pretty girl, I saw utmost excitement.

 **Alright dancers, are you READY? 3...2...1...DANCE!**

She was genuinely excited as the symbols quickly descended, only to be sent further down through my moves. I never lost to anyone before, but I would come to see that there was a first for everything.

 **oooOOOooo**

I finally returned to my humble abode as I ascended the stairs only to take my sandals off and drop onto the soft cushions of my mattress. Today was a glorious day filled with fun and excitement. I didn't think I would fit right in with the other humans, but to my surprised, I was surrounded by them as they cheered me on. I could feel their energy as I continued to move, not allowing any symbols to pass me.

 _Best of all, I made a friend._

I looked up and saw the clock on the wall. Jamie should be coming home any minute now. Then the thought occurred to me. I thanked the twins for the coins, but maybe I should get a job. Today I used 8 coins from both Jenny and Kiki; 4 coins trying to win something for Jamie. I discovered that Peridot enjoyed the pleasure of displaying her "magnetic power" in front of their friends. Although she offered, I refused any help. After 2 tries, I decided to end my attempts. Kiki tried to give me one more try, but I simply thanked her. I wasn't sure their value, but I wished to repay the twins. Actually, the top person I should thank was Jamie. He allowed me to stay and occupy his place; something that I now realized should be compensated with "money".

"But what sort of job can I get here?"

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

"Wait!" I was not letting go of this chance. After gathering my strength, I ran up to that blue girl. After our battle, with my surprise loss, she regrouped with her friends. They were about to leave from the arcade until I approached them.

"Yes?" The girl spoke, turning her attention to me as did the rest of her group.

"I admit, you're good babe. So at least do Kevin the honor of knowing the babe's name."

"Babe? My name is Lapis."

"Lapis? What a cute name. We should really talk about it some more. Maybe at a cafe?" I took a few steps closer and gave my best face. No one could refuse when I poured out the magic.

"No, I'm good. I have to get going."

"Huh?" I didn't realize how tired my legs were until she spoke those lines. She refused me as everyone else began to scatter. When I was left to myself, I found myself uttering that phrase. I never thought I would say those words again.

"I'm in love."

 **-END OF CHAPTER**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Kevin finally makes his debut. I do apologize for my huge delay. I originally wrote the first draft in August, but I found it distasteful. Kevin was too much like Jamie, in the sense of using articulate words. He needed to be more egotistical and pretty narcissistic. Next thing I knew, I had issues at home that distracted my creative flow so all stories were put on hold. Eventually, in the midst of October, I managed to channel that flow and return writing the later half of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. - _sorrowXdarkness_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the huge lap since my last update of this story. Life hasn't been that great for a while. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's a REAL doozy. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fanfiction'.**

 **Steven Universe- Roommates**

 **Chapter 15: The Critic**

 **oooOOOooo**

"You wanted to see me sir?" Jamie appeared by the doorway. The door to the mayor's office was left open as two bodyguards quickly arrived to apprehend him. The men did a quick search before letting him go.

"He's clear." The taller of the two spoke as they stepped aside. Jamie felt slightly violated as he attempted to recapture his composure; they were quite thorough with their search. The mayor was too occupied by his conversation on the phone to realize what just occurred to the young thespian. As the call ended, the man with his slight "thinning" hair turned his direction to his guest.

"Jamie my boy! You have no idea how happy I am in seeing you." The man came to Jamie and gave the most uncomfortable embrace he ever felt.

"Sir?"

The mayor pulled away before letting out a hearty chuckle. "Do you have any idea with whom I had the pleasure of talking to in the phone?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't have a clue." Jamie said sincerely. He had never seen the mayor so excited before. Well except for when his political campaign won the previous year. It helped that no one ran against him during the elections.

"I had the honor of speaking to Michael Gold."

That strung a chord to Jamie as his expression shifted. "You don't mean..."

"Hm-hm."

"The..."

"The one and the same."

"So he'll..."

"He'll be partaking in the night as one of your audience during opening night. Leave a good impression with him and I can guarantee more concrete fundings for our city's recreation activities."

Jamie's mind lit up. Michael Gold was both a film and play critic with a reputation that stretched across the country. A single paragraph from the man was enough to give light to one's work, or the darkness, never allowing another opportunity to shine. The risk was high; a height that far exceeded Jamie's expectation.

The mayor let out a cough. "So be sure to do your best. After all, I had to pull some mighty big strings to get him to attend your play." As he spoke those lines, the mayor received a call that he took. Jamie was escorted out of the mayor's office by one of the guards and was left on his own outside the building.

When he realized where he now was, he turned to his hands. They both began to quiver, though it wasn't through excitement.

 **oooOOOooo**

The final week of the production and everyone was practically ready for the play. They were given a total of three weeks to prepare the play (a play that may continued for a handful of times if successful at its first night). So much was in the works as the actors continued to practice and Peridot continued to perfect the stage props. It was mostly decorating them to hide the machinery from the audience's eyes. Pearl decided to help with the decoration and to look over the dances. Connie was really useful in keeping Jamie up-to-date with the progress. Above all, he had the wonderful opportunity to practice alongside Lapis. She was already gifted in her own rights, probably through the watching of many films and mimicking their actions.

He never felt such joy as they performed several scenes together, fine-tuning their skills and performance. If only that was the case when he was in Kansas City, dealing with **her**. No, thought Jamie. If he never left Kansas City and returned to Beach City, he wouldn't have met Lapis the way he did and they wouldn't be as close as they were now. Their mid sections were connected, as they twirled their bodies together. The dance was the most crucial. Every small movements must captivate the audience, but at the same time they must not be mindful of them. No one should exist between the two figures as they danced. The only eyes they should see, were each others.

"Jamie, are you alright?"

"Hm?"

Lapis and Jamie halted. Lapis was holding Jamie in place as she dipped him. Her eyes were cast down, staring at the eyes before her. Toward the end, Jamie's movements dwindled as they came out of sync with hers. What could distract the young thespian from performing in a play he wrote himself. Lapis could feel the trickle of liquid coming from his eyes.

She could easily hold Jamie in one hand, and she did as she freed her other hand. Jamie didn't realize the trail of water trickling down until Lapis pulled them aside with a wave of her freed hand. The gesture surprised him as Lapis returned them to their original position before Jamie detached himself. "Jamie...is everything alright?"

Jamie walked a bit toward the edge of the stage. Looking ahead, he tried to imagine the audience to be during the first night. For him, each play was crucial for his career. Any flop would only guarantee his change in career. He nearly gave it up once. A second time would only latched onto him longer; perhaps permanently like super glue with no luck of removing itself from him. His career would be over. His love for the arts would be over. Proving to **her** that he truly had no skills for acting. Steven noticed the scene and quickly made his way to Jamie, only to be stopped by Pearl. He looked up and saw her shaking her head.

Lapis stared at the backside of her partner. The wind blew the tip of his hair freely, but the rest of him felt restricted. Stuck. She took a step forward, still waiting for him to say something. He didn't. Perhaps he was pondering something. With each day disappearing, the actual day of the performance was drawing near. They were well on track for that night, but even that did not prevent the anxiety he felt. The anxiety the rest of the cast would feel. Everyone else were showing signs, most of which were their excitements. It drew the untapped energy to continue. Eventually that would turn on them. Their exhilaration would transform into fear. Was Jamie feeling the fear already? They were doing so fine, so what was there to worry?

"Lapis."

"Yes?" Hearing his voice, Lapis halted any thought process. Pouring all of her attention, she waited for him to continue.

"You're amazing...truly stunning. Seeing you perform with ease, but above all, with the joy that could easily fill the hearts of the audience." Jamie said, leaving a confused Lapis in place. They were all nice comments from him, but she sensed sorrow in his words. What was going on in the mind of the thespian/director/friend/boyfriend? He turned to her. His eyes stared at her figure for a moment. Her form was even enchanting as the sun shined its ray down on her. He closed his eyes. In their place, was his smile; a forced one at that. "If this play turns out to be a flop... I'm sure if you really want to, you cou-"

Lapis didn't give him a chance to finish that line. Instead, she embraced him wholesomely. She bound his arms to his body as she held him tightly. She wanted to say how much of an idiot he was being. What was going on with him? She wanted to know.

"Jamie... I'm only going to say this once. You're an idiot if you think I would go ahead and leave us behind. I'm doing this because of you..." She took a moment to allow her gem on her back to settle down. How angry was she? "...because it's with you...so please stop talking like that."

Jamie let out a sigh as he felt the warm embrace. He reciprocated the gesture, turning to her as one of his hand ruffled her hair. How fortunate was he? His heart could not settle. The reason shifted as did the feeling behind it. His heart was in utter joy. He pushed Lapis apart. The action surprised her as she began to fear for the worse. They turned out to be silly thoughts of the mind as Jamie pulled her in. The difference? He bestowed a light kiss for a moment before pressing forward for another kiss. Lapis understood as the second kiss held them both together for what felt like forever. Nothing else really mattered as they allowed the sensation to spread across their body. Lapis felt she was flying without the use of her powers as her mind began to forget the wooden floor below her feet.

As they departed, they discovered how tearful their faces have gotten. Finding it humorous, they leaned and connected foreheads.

"So what's going on?" She asked.

Jamie knew not how to reply. As director, it would be better if his crew did not know about their surprise guest. They were already stressed out with the play itself. Anymore could be detrimental for the performance and his staff. Still, when staring at the eyes of someone that cared so much about you, there was no way you could refuse. "I'm a bit worried, that's all."

Lapis wanted to chuckle. Why on Homeworld, would he be worried? Everything was fine. They were fine. Even though she wanted to laugh, she didn't. "You have nothing to worry about." She wanted to shower him with all of her feelings, and hoped that it would remove any insecurities in his body. She had to settle with her words that spread to his face. "Because I'm here."

Steven and Pearl both gave a light smile in response to what they heard. Despite the scene, only a handful of people noticed. Connie, who was going over the lighting with Peridot, noticed their conversation. She wasn't the only one. Lapis stood next to Jamie, resting her head on him as they allowed the moment to pass through them. Eventually, they returned to practicing for the remaining hour. Kiki stared at the couple throughout the rest of the day, though with equivocal pair of eyes.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Here you go. A plain bagel with the works." Steven said cheerfully as he gave the treat to Connie that took it with steady hands. Upon receiving the tasty snack, her gaze went down to the bagel. Steven then began to work on his own bagel, but stopped midway when he noticed Connie's expression.

"Is everything alright?"

Connie bit her lips before speaking. "Is Jamie usually this worried right before a play?" The day before, Connie caught sight of Jamie's insecurities. How would an army fare, when their leader was in ruins? It was thanks to Lapis that Jamie shifted gears in his mood. It was actually the basis of Connie's concern.

Steven stopped making his lunch all together. Today was a free day for them as they decided to have a picnic together. It has been a while since they last shared a picnic. Lately, they both were busy with things; Connie with her violin lessons and Steven with his missions as a Crystal Gem, let alone the play.

"Yes..." Steven began though changed his mind. "...no. He gets worried, but never like this. He told me to keep it a secret, but someone really important will be attending the first night. Someone that could either make or break his career with a stroke of his pen."

Connie nodded, affirming that she understood. "That would explain why he acted the way he did." She knew that Jamie was a struggling thespian, but never thought he was struggling this bad. Each of his plays may lacked the adequate fundings and cast, but they were performed with plenty of heart. "Still, we're going to knock that guy's socks off with our first night performance." Connie said confidently, standing tall. Steven laughed in responded before following her lead.

"Yeah! He will have no choice but to write a good review on Jamie and his play."

They both were quite sure of themselves as they ate their bagels.

 **oooOOOooo**

"So this is Beach city?" A man, well over his fifties, said as he boarded out of a tour bus. He looked around and noticed how small and un-stimulating the place was. The trip took him several hours, but he already regretted his decision in making the trip. The only reason he came to Beach City was because an old classmate of his told him of a one of a kind play. He really doubted that, but since his friend insisted and he was bored, he might as well do him that favor.

When he found a bench to relax, he took a seat and pulled out a flier from his satchel.

"The Divine Candidate?" He said to himself. The paper had a vague design of two people; one toward the center and the other toward one side. The one toward the center was clearly a woman performing a dance while the one toward the side was a man. It was somewhat interesting, but the picture did not reveal too much of the play. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Then suddenly, it sprang. It came so abruptly and without warning as the low growl from within notify the man that he was hungry and was in need to satisfy that hunger. He walked around the "famous" broadwalk to find a place to catch a bite. The boardwalk didn't seem so full with tourist as he only spotted a handful of people walking by.

When he spotted a vendor, he quickly made his way to his establishment; Fish Stew Pizza. The place was completely packed with people as they merrily sang a tune. He came slightly annoyed by their action as they made common slurs to a beloved song. They were mostly fishermen and town folks as they sang and ate without no concern for anyone else nearby. It was truly a crime to the critic as he kept his opinion to himself, willfully making his way through the crowd. Arriving at the counter, he turned his attention to the man standing on the other side.

"I just rolled into town and I'm wondering, what do you serve here?"

The man smiled by the newcomer as he presented the critic with a menu of the place. He looked through the options and decided to try their specialty.

The man jotted it down before shouting to his daughter of the order made by the critic. The daughter did not look all that enthusiastic about it, but took the order anyway before leaving to the kitchen.

"We will let you know when it is done. Please wait patiently for your order."

The bad thing about waiting for his meal was that fact that everyone else was continuing their little chorus. _If this is all_ _Beach City has to offer_ _, then I regret agreeing to come here._

Just then, the door to the place opened and a strange person walked in. Strange was the perfect word for it as said person was surprisingly blue; literally the color blue. Everything about her was blue; her skin, hair, and eyes. Even her dress was blue as she walked over to the counter and rang the bell.

When she noticed the critic staring at her, she smiled politely. He found himself smiling back as she directed her attention to the counter. The man from before returned with a plate of drinks as he realized who rang the bell.

"Ah Lapis, quick on your feet as always. For now, there are no deliveries as practically everyone is here. So if you don't mind, please hand out these drinks to table number five."

"Okay. I can do that." She said enthusiastically. She took the drinks and began walking toward the crowd.

"Lapis!" They all cheered as they made way for her to walk through.

"Hello. Please don't mind me. I'm here to drop off the drinks." She said as she placed down the drinks and took back the plate. "Can I get you anything else?"

One of them spoke for the mass. "Lapis, you know why we're here. Can't you give us a sample of what's to come tomorrow?"

T _omorrow?_

Lapis shook her head with a smile plastered on her face. "As much as I love to show you all a small portion of the play, I really want you all to be there to see the whole thing."

"And we will!" Said another.

"Yeah, I already purchased my ticket ahead of time." Yet another voice said.

"Me too!"

Lapis thanked everyone as she promised to give it her all in tomorrow play. By then, the critic received a drink and as he took a sip, he spat it out. _She's in the play?!_ His sudden spit take did not go un-noticed as the same blue girl quickly came to his side.

"Are you okay?" She began, patting his back with the gentlest of touch. "Do you want a napkin?"

"I'm fine. Just surprised, is all." He said, capturing as much of his composure he lost as he could. "So you're performing in a play, huh?"

"That's right. It's called Divine Candidate and it is going to be performed tomorrow. You should come and check it out if you can."

The switch was flipped when he received confirmation. Putting down his drink, he spoke. "So tell me, is this your first time performing?"

"In a live audience, yes." She said excitedly.

"And you're not worried about messing up?" He asked.

"No. Not one bit." She said plainly. "I read the play several times and completely memorized all my lines."

"Really?" The critic asked, not too impressed. "What's your least favorite line from the entire play?" Most people could recite their favorite line in a play or story. The same could not be said about their least favorite line. When he heard not a peek from the girl, he thought he got her. When she spoke, he was in for a surprise.

"My prince, the very embodiment of divinity and kindness to take interest in me, it is truly a heavy heart to deny you of anything, but I am a peasant. Unsuitable to stand before you. I am merely a person with no nobility or resource to offer. I'm sorry." When she was done, she opened her eyes.

"Not bad. You got potential, that's for sure."

"Does that mean you're coming tonight?"

The critic nodded. The girl got him slightly interested as he finally received his meal.

The strange blue girl then left when her boss called her back. As he continued to stare at her fleeing figure, he found himself to be a bit excited for the night performance.

 **oooOOOooo**

It was finally the night of the play and everyone was excited. With the help of Pearl and Barbara, they managed to provide everyone with clothes and props. As the people were walking through the open field and taking their seats, Jamie was performing a final check with Connie and Peridot. Everyone was accounted for as they were occupied with putting on their costumes and reciting their roles.

As he finished with the check up, he felt a tap on the shoulder, turning around, he found Lapis in a dress. It was supposed to be a modest dress that was suited for her role as a peasant. It was still modest by itself, but somehow it had brought a new shade of Lazuli that Jamie was not used to seeing.

"How do I look."

By the gods, how was he supposed to answer that? No answers he could provide would be able to satisfy her inquiry. It definitely made sense to make a dress similar to what Lapis usually wore. As she gave a small twirl around, her attention went on the young director for a response. Her eyes waited and waited some more as they spotted his mouth ajar.

"Jamie?" She asked, straightening herself once again.

"You look...amazing." He forcefully let out as he felt the butterflies in the cavern of his stomach.

"Really?" When he nodded, her cheeks beamed a dark shade of blue. A praise was good before the show as she confidently walked around with her costume on. This actually was the second dress they made for her, after Pearled added her inputs. Pearl knew what she was saying as the new dress was easier to dance around with. The previous dress was cute, but very restrictive. Any sudden movements and she feared she could tear a sleeve or two.

"Can we perform one last lighting check?" Connie asked through the headset. Peridot nodded from a distance as she tinkered with the control panel.

Jamie took in a deep breath as he peeked through the curtains. Honestly, he hoped to fill half the seats in the audience. When he saw the whole place packed, the anxiety came in. This is it, he thought. This was his big shot. It finally came down to this night. There were tons of people, so it was hard to tell if the critic came.

"It's going to be great." Someone said from behind.

Jamie turned around and saw Kiki standing there with a clipboard. Although she refused to take any acting roles, she offered her free time to help in any other way possible.

"Yeah. I know. There's a lot of people tonight." He commented. "How's Jenny?"

Kiki shrugged her shoulders. "Fine I guess. She didn't seem anxious at all."

"Well, it's probably because she has no line at all. Lucky her."

Kiki chuckled before speaking once again. "Hey, you'll thank me for it. My sister is all about moving and grooving." When she saw he wasn't looking at her, she became slightly annoyed. It wasn't until she noticed something off that her expression changed. He was fiddling with his fingers as more people came roaring in, with or without seats.

"Hey. It's going to be great." She repeated.

He felt the pressure pressing down on his shoulders as he swallowed down the apprehensiveness. "Okay." He said before walking off. Kiki looked at his back, concerned over her friend. Maybe it was time to take a different approach.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

"Lapis, please deliver this to Mr. Harold at his home." Mr. Fryman said, passing a bag to the Crystal Gem. She took it politely before taking off. To think, she finally found a job she could do. Steven explained more about the concept of money to Lapis and how to acquire it. When she heard Mr. Fryman was looking for someone to deliver their food, she approached him about the job. She heard about the job from Steven that accompanied her. Mr. Fryman was not too keen in hiring her, but thanks to Steven, he decided to give her a chance. Today would mark the third day since she started her job. It was simple and helpful as she became more acquainted with the small town of Beach City.

Everyone was mostly nice to her on her delivery, especially Barbara. For some reason, she kept talking about Jamie to her. Not that she was complaining, since she learned more about her boyfriend. The mail carrier was happy for them both as she felt Lapis was both a sweet girl and quite the catch.

" _Catch?"_

 _"Makes me wonder, how on earth did Jamie manage to get your attention."_

Lapis smiled in response to Barbara's inquiry. _"Honestly, I'm the lucky one."_

As she flew, she became excited about her paycheck. In two days, she would be receiving her pay for her work. She wasn't sure on what she could buy with it, but knew part of it would go to Jamie for allowing her to stay with him. _Boy, won't he be surprised._

Returning to her workplace, she was met with Ronaldo. He was the son of her boss that worked there as well. He didn't seem as passionate as Lapis was about her work, but still performed them. When he noticed her, he quickly ran up to her to ask her some questions. Since her first day, Ronaldo kept asking her questions about her existence and culture as a gem. They were pretty harmless as she tried to answer some of them to the best of her abilities. She kept reminding him that she was trapped for many years in a mirror so she became somewhat detached with Homeworld.

He still continued despite what she said as he posted her answers "on-line". He had a place there to report his findings to everyone that read them.

"You know, Peridot might be able to help with your 'blog'. She already familiar with your computers." Lapis brought up. That went well with the strange teen as he pulled his eyes from his jotted notes. She definitely lit a fire within him.

"Oh my gosh! You are so right. Peridot already has this inclination to study and examine our planet. This could bring out a whole new perspective from an outside source." Ronaldo began before dashing through the boardwalk. Her guess, he was heading to Steven's house to speak to Peridot.

"Ronaldo! We still have work!" She shouted, but Ronaldo simply waved his hand. Did that have some significant meaning, she wondered. "I guess he doesn't care about his job." She concluded. He was more into his website than his work anyway. _So why is he working here?_

"Lapis, another delivery!" Mr. Fryman shouted.

"Coming!" She quickly went inside. Her job was far from over; there was still two more hours before the end of her shift. _Just remember why you are doing this...for Jamie._

 **-End of Chapter**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So Lapis got herself a job. Jamie is concern about the play. Lapis and a few others are concern about Jamie. So much to do and so little time. As you would guess it, the next chapter is the play itself. I haven't decided if I should break it down into two parts or leave it as one. It may depend on the actual writing content so stay tune! Oh and any predictions of what's to come?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here it is, the play itself. So much is going to happen now. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the story in its entirety.**

 **I do not own Steven Universe, hence the fanfiction.**

 **Chapter 16: The Night of the Play**

 **oooOOOooo**

Hundreds of years ago, a group of people roamed the vacant land. Then one day, a young girl wandered off far from her group. They were constantly on the move, but decided to settled upon realizing they were short one. A man came out and wondered for the girl, as the group maintained their spot. The girl was alone and scared as she continued to walk alongside the creek. Eventually, she discovered some fruits nearby and ate with glee. The fruits were indeed rich and juicy, something the girl found appealing. With a stomach full of nourishments, the girl decided to sleep on a pile of leaves.

It wasn't until a few hours later that the man discovered the girl asleep and something else. Near where she slept, he stumbled on a mighty bay that provided all sort of plants to form. A great deal of bore fruits and he noticed the girl had her fill of them; the remains left beside her person. Picking up a piece untouched by the girl's appetite, he took a great big bite and savored the taste he received.

"This will be our home." He declared and the town of Medley was formed.

 **oooOOOooo**

"Now for a quick intermission." Said Ronaldo as the curtains came closing down on the stage. The people clapped respectfully as Ronaldo returned backstage. Narrating was exhausting for the young adult, receiving a cold drink from one of the twins. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. You were great out there." She said before turning her attention to the props being moved around. They were both under pressure and time as everything had to be ready for the next act.

"Ronaldo, please allow me to check the microphone. There was a slight delay. I think I can fix it before the next act." Peridot said. Ronaldo took off the headset and handed it off to her.

Meanwhile, Greg dropped down after performing his role as the man to declare their new home. When Steven said they needed someone to play a minor role in the beginning, he never thought he had to train for it. Being a nomadic man, Greg had to lose the stomach and tone his arms to fit the role. Bow was Pearl strict on his diet and training regiment. Finally done with his part, he fell down to relax. His stomach still ached for the amount of sit-ups he completed to rid the flappy abdominal underneath his shirt.

"Phew... Glad I only had that role to do." He said, viewing around the set.

"People, places. The next part is starting in less than five minutes!" Connie yelled as the new scene fell into place. She then dashed to one side of the set.

"Mr. Universe! We need some muscle here!" Connie said as they tried pulling the rope.

"Oh boy..." He said, before lifting himself up from the floor. "I'm coming!"

 **oooOOOooo**

Many hundreds of years went by as the small village turned into a prosperous town. Many would come from distance lands to either settle there or trade with its town folks. Everything seemed to be going great for the town of Medley where they had a little of everything. Each decade or so, their territory would expand as many people decided to make their home outside the walls.

What started out as a handful, later became hundreds as the town of Medley now had a sub-town stretching from outside the protective walls. Those that lived around that area were mostly farmers that would provide the town with many nourishments along with a small amount of items.

Sad to say, the great town would face its first tragedy when the Queen of the land suddenly passed away. Her untimely death let everyone in turmoil, but no one more than the King himself. Even after months went by, the King could not let go of his grief. The lost of his love and companion left him dwindling in his health until one day, the King collapsed. Everyone was in shock as the towering authority fell to the floor. The attendant called out the guards, as the laundry lady nearby caught wind of the news.

"The King has fallen!"

"The King?"

"The King has fallen!"

It didn't take long for the news to travel across the land; it even went past the walls. People were both in shock and in fear as the state of their kingdom was possibly in peril. Bedridden, the King's health remained with no sign of improvement. With that, most of his advisers started to follow the young prince. Only the top adviser stayed beside the King to provide an overview of his Kingdom. With most of the responsibilities falling on the Prince, there was no time for leisure for him.

It was in no time that the people saw how fragile their kingdom was becoming without a stern ruler. With a strong petition, they presented the court with a proposition. To secure the royal reign, the prince must get wedded.

The Prince had no one in mind and had no time because of his placed responsibilities. So when he received the news that he must be wedded, he was baffled. That did not stop the town folks as they quickly devised a plan; a competition for the perfect bride.

 **oooOOOooo**

Another act had been completed as the curtains drew close the stage. Ronaldo declared an intermission as many clapped. The reaction was clearly one-sided as they cheered upon each succession. With the act ending with the people of Medley looking for a "candidate" to become both the wife and queen, everyone in the crowd knew what was to come. As they waited for the next act, they began to chant her name.

Her name filled the ears of every cast behind the scenes, especially to the blue gem that held the name.

"They're calling for you." Jamie said, surprising Lapis from his sudden appearance. Playing the Prince was certainly tiresome, yet rewarding. As soon as he began his role, he was already in character. It felt like the anxiety he felt disappeared from his vessel.

"I know... I hope I'll do fine." She said as the audience chanting continued, with a clear azure color forming deeply around her cheeks.

"You'll be more than fine. Here, give me your hand." Jamie said as he received her hand. "Kiki always do this to me whenever I got nervous." Lifting up her hand, he spoke. "Imagine all your fear and anxiety in the palm of your hand."

At first, she was confused. Still, she nodded as she tried to follow his instructions.

"Now try placing them to the tip of your index finger." He said.

"Okay...now what?"

It happened. Without much warning, Jamie lightly bit on the finger of her hand. That startled the gem as she took a step back.

"There." Jamie said with a smile. "I ate them, so you no longer have nothing to be nervous about."

Lapis took notice of her hand. Her finger was intact, but the feeling that swelled within her disappeared. "How did you do that?" It almost felt like Jamie had a power of his own, like her, manipulating the elements.

"It's something that Kiki taught me when we were kids. To be perfectly honest, I was pretty nervous too until Kiki came and did it to me right before my scene."

"She what?" Lapis asked.

"She took away all my worries."

For a moment, something bothered Lapis once again. It wasn't fear. No. she stared at the floors, pondering. It was definitely something she felt before. If she had to describe it, it would closely resemble-

"I'm glad to have her as a friend. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"I see... then the next time I see you all worked up, I'll be sure to do the same to you." Lapis said, lifting her head to reveal a smile. Jamie reciprocated the smile until their moment was over with the arrival of Connie.

"Lapis! You're needed right now."

"Alright." Lapis said as Connie left. "I better go." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "See you on stage."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

 **oooOOOooo**

Weeks went by as many young girls were auditioned. They mostly came from wealthy families without ties, and each one of them came with a creepy smile. To think, one of them could be Queen. A dream come true thought up when they were only children.

Despite his responsibilities, the people managed to force the Prince to participate as the main judge. Each day, he had to free his early afternoons to see a bunch of girls talking about themselves. After the first week, he was already sick of it.

None of them was even appealing as he kept his thumb down upon judgment. That was until a lone girl from outside the walls was taken to see the Prince. She was but a mere farmer that started to work on the land owned by both of her parents. Originally, she was a teacher and would spend her time teaching the neighboring children. It was not until her parents became stricken by some sickness and left bedridden that she shifted in position. To make matter worse, her brother disappeared right at the moment they needed him most.

Having to quit her job, she began tending to the land. Two weeks went as she tired herself with her parents' land when a group of fellow peasants came to her and snatched her. They lifted her up and carried her into the protective walls of Medley. Inside, she was dropped within a building she never had been to before dusting herself from the dirty impact. Looking around, she found herself to be inside one of the royal buildings as she spotted a line filled with young girls as they waited.

In need for some answers, she spoke to the very first girl that stood at the end tip of the line. She was anything but modest. Her hair was bathed in the rich aroma that would "normally" smell pleasant, but she overdid the procedure and now the sweet aroma was too overbearing. As she explained where they were, the strange young girl couldn't stop adding comments about herself. Her dress was imported by a thriving town, with shoes made by an expensive shoemaker. Nearly everything she had, was made for the occasion as she let out a series of laughter while "politely" covering her mouth. It was contrary to the girl as she viewed herself. Her dress had a few patched and her hair only had their natural scent. She bore no makeup around her face and her shoes was well over a year old.

Enough was said as a few young girls arrived and stood behind the farmer girl. It was official, she was part of this, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She tried to simply walk off the line, but an old lady stopped her. She was one of the people that snatched her from her family land. Shaking her head, the elder woman insisted she try out.

"Why?" The girl began. "Why must I partake in this when I am clearly unworthy?"

The shaking continued from the old lady before she spoke. "We picked you up from the farm lands because we saw you singing and dancing around so happily. You got talent with beauty to go along with it."

"I'm still unworthy for the Prince." Insisted the young girl, though her plead fell in deaf ears.

The line moved forward and unfortunately for her, so did she. The wait went for hours as the line drew closer and closer to the center room where the Prince resided. Time continued to move forward and before she knew it, she now stood before the Prince. He sat on a luxurious chair with two guards beside him. He bore an apparent frown, the anxiety began for the girl.

"I believe I have tired myself for the day. Can we continue this tomorrow?" The Prince spoke to one of his advisers that stood near the girl. The girl was not surprised. The girl ahead of her was nonstop with talking about herself in the line that even she was tired out, though she kept quiet as the adviser took a step forward.

"My Prince, this is the very last one for the day. I beseech you, please let her speak."

"Very well." His attention was now on the girl. "Why do you believe you are the perfect candidate to be my bride?"

The adviser gestured for her to step before the Prince and speak. Nervous as she was, she knew her response. Inhaling some air, she hoped to the Goddess of Victory that this would be over soon. She wasted far too much time here. Time that could have been spent on the field.

Standing before the Prince, the young girl felt a strong pressure appearing around her chest area. She could feel the loss of her voice as she gave a light cough, hoping to return to some sense of normalcy. It didn't. Therefore, she concluded that it was his presence that was effecting her. Somehow his divinity of being royalty was afflicting her body with immense pressure.

When he spoke, like magic, the sensation disappeared. He asked her to list off her best traits; something that everyone else was doing since the start of this silly petition.

There, she thought. The key to the door that would open her opportunity. Understanding what she must do, she began by describing her current state.

"I am poor." She began. That surprised the Prince, along with everyone else still in the room. "I am also a tad older than most of the other "younger" ladies that appeared before you." She smiled and she saw the ajar space that existed between the prince's lips. "My skin is pale to comparison to the more exotic participants along with the air around them. I have nothing to give to you, but myself."

"What are you doing?" The adviser asked. Was this some sort of game for the peasant, thought the adviser. So when he asked, he asked with a fair trail of aggression. To make the bribe hunt some sort of mockery was unforgivable.

"I'm providing a list of why the Prince shouldn't pick me as his bride." She said cheerfully. When she mentioned the Prince, her eyes gestured to his direction.

"Out! I want you gone! Never again will you be allow to step forward within the walls of Medley." The adviser cried while pointing a sharp finger toward the entrance she took upon arrival.

"It was never meant to be." She stated firmly as she turned to leave. There was no future with someone like her. She already accepted that fact the moment she realized the difference between the common folks and noble people.

"Halt!" Cried a voice, and so she did. Turning back to the room, it was the Prince that stood up with a hand stretched out. "You! You caught my interest, so I wish to know more of you." He said.

"What! My Prince, she's not a proper candidate for you."

"Pasgal." The Prince said firmly.

"Yes my Prince?" The adviser asked.

"Please keep quiet. The only voice I want to hear, is from hers."

With that, the adviser sealed his lips. Not a cough or hum escaped those thin lips as he watched. With the silence acquired by the adviser, the Prince continued. "You. What is your name?"

The young girl was confused. How could the Prince be interested in someone like her? Was he now playing the tricks on her?

"Why? I am poor." She reminded him.

"I never asked for your fortune." He simply said.

"There are other girls far younger to compliment your youth, my Prince." The girl said, a few decibels higher than before.

"Age breed maturity. I like that in a woman." He admitted.

"My skin is pale. Not like those with dark creamy skins from a far away land." Her voice now resembled a mild shout. Was she getting frustrated?

"Your skin is fair, giving off a sense of tranquility. That is something none of those exotic girls have over you." He said. Somehow through their abrupt conversation reserved for only those two, the distance between them disappeared. He approached her as the slight spark of interest ignited by her words transformed to passion. His face was mere inches from her own as she began to tear. This was too much for her heart to handle as the pressure before worsened.

"I have nothing to give. Nothing but myself." She cried, the sniffles could be heard through the room as she shielded her eyes with her hands. To cry before the prince was inexcusable. It was not until she felt a touch of his hand caressing the side of her cheeks, that she stopped.

"That is all I am asking for." He said sincerely. That did it. The dam she built up until now broke. In response, she pushed back the Prince.

 _I can't accept this. You deserved someone better..._

With her head cast down, her hair cast a veil over her eyes. "My Prince, the very embodiment of divinity and kindness to take interest in me, it is truly a heavy heart to deny you of anything, but I am a peasant. Unsuitable to stand before you. I am merely a person with no nobility or resource to offer. I'm sorry."

The last words were spoken as she lifted her eyes to view the heartbroken Prince. In time, he would erase her existence from his mind. No need to store petty moments, thought the girl. Only that, the Prince was not a bit dismay by her choice of words. Instead, he smiled. A smile? Why on earth would he (or anyone for that matter) be smiling upon receiving such verbal nonsense?

"So you would refuse my proposal?" Asked the Prince.

A sudden impact was felt around her bosom. "I would." She said steadily. "You are a Prince; a divine specimen that I have no luck in corresponding with. Please, cast your adieu and forever remove my presence in your mind." Pleaded the girl.

The Prince shook his head. As firm of a rock she was, he matched in durability. "You believed you are unfit to be my bride and queen of this land, but I can tell you that you are mistaken. You only need to prove yourself of that..." He said as he guided her hands to touch hold of hers. "You are divine. You simply have to realize it and show it to the whole kingdom to see."

"What do you mean?"

"Perform one act to me and everyone else. If you do so with all your heart and soul, then I will accept any outcome. I will propose to you...we will discuss this more later in the evening. For now, please think of what to perform."

All she could do was nod her head as the Prince had the adviser dropped her off home. It took no more than the arrival of the twilight zone for her to receive a letter from a royal guard. She had a span of a week to practice her act and he hoped that she had one in mind.

There was only one that would come to the darkest of time, she found herself to smile. All she had to do was twirl around and the scattered pedals would whirl along with her.

Knowing what she was going to perform, she went to bed. She had a long week before seeing the Prince.

The day of the performance, she stood behind the scene. Her timing was important as she waited for her cue. Unbeknown to her, someone else stood against her approval. It was one of the other participants that saw the whole ordeal between the girl and the Prince. Her shot for becoming queen in ruins; unless she dealt with the trash. Fortune must be on the poor peasant's side to acquire the Prince's attention, but victory would be hers.

The music began and the girl took in a great deal of life. She began.

 **oooOOOooo**

The final intermission was now commencing. Everyone was getting ready for the final scene. Lapis simply stood where she was as she let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. All that was left was the final dance. The first part by herself and the second half with her prince. Speaking of prince, she looked around and spotted him staring once again through the curtains. She smiled warmly, knowing how anxious he was. Maybe a trick was required.

Thanks to the noise around them, they muffled the sound her steps made as she tiptoed her way behind. When she saw her chance, she opened her arms and swallowed her prince wholesomely between her arms. The act caused him to be pulled inside the set with a very playful gem along with a shriek.

"How's our fair prince feeling?"

Jamie didn't answer right away. Instead, he returned his gaze on the audience through the heavy veil. "Honestly...I'm a bit anxious now. This is the most important scene of the play. Even a misstep from my part and the play is a bust."

There he goes again, thought Lapis. He was such a worrier, but that brought out a cheshire smile to be plastered on her face. She knew what to do as she flipped him around.

"You have nothing to worry about my prince." She brought a hand to caress his face. "As long as I'm here, you have nothing to fear."

In response, Jamie smiled before putting a hand to caress her faee. "Thank you." He said while softly rubbing his thumb acorss her cheeks. Using both of her hands, she captured his hand seemingly with no ill intent. His guard was down as he expected nothing but affections. He was not wrong. With his mind occupied, she took action as she brought his finger to her mouth before taking a bite.

"Like I said before, you have nothing to fear. For I have devoured that fear."

He quickly pulled away from instinct as her bite came out of nowhere. He was not harmed, more like rather he was startled. She did the same thing he did to her. Quite the tricky pixie. His worries now gone, he took hold of her hands.

"What have I done to deserve you?" He asked. She was simply amazing.

Before she could reply back, they were given their cues to get to their spot. What she wanted to say, was best reserved for later.

 **oooOOOooo**

The stage was set as the young girl waited for the music to begin. When it did, she commenced. She sprang into action with a kick to the sky. She allowed her heart to be her guide as she swayed and twirled her body around. Although she heard some of the crowd approving her moves, she tried to block their voices. All that matter was what the Prince thought about her performance.

As she danced, she was reminded of a time when she really needed this the most. Her hands cast a spell as they swayed all around with their bottom counterparts. Her hair never looked so stunning as they did now, swaying from her movements. Without realizing it, Lapis' power began to leak out. She was getting really into it as several drips of water circled around her; dancing alongside her. It was a good thing her dress was hardly transparent or else everyone would have seen the light that emitted from her gem on her back.

They took different shapes, best resembling the stars as they scattered around her. It was time. She prepared herself for the big jump with a twirl. As she leaps through the air, someone poured the stage with water. It didn't occur to her of the misdeed until her foot landed onto the slippery ground as her body uncontrollably slid forward. Her hands were waving in madness as she cried out. She could fell the grip she had on the floor slipping (pun intended) as she closed her eyes.

As her body fell backward, she expected the floor to roughly welcome her. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was being held steadily by the prince as he lifted her back up and began to dance with her.

Nothing was said between the two beings as they waltz around the stage. The girl smiled as her gaze fell solely on the prince, as did the prince. He performed a light dip, followed by a twirl. The waltz continued as they kept their internal rhythm going. The water on the floor began to float into the air, casting a protective shield around them. They resembled stars once again, though of different sizes. The prince was dipped down by the girl before giving a twirl of his own. The music was reaching its end as the tone began to drop. That was the same with their movements. His hands were on her hips and back as hers were around his necks. Eventually the music came to an end as they touched their forehead together, all while never breaking contact with one another. They stayed like that for what felt like forever until the light from the stage fade into black.

 **oooOOOooo**

In the darkness, they both gave out cheerful laughter as Jamie lifted Lapis up and around. He couldn't help himself. "We did it!" He said. Lapis continued with her giggles until she was on the floor once again. The performance was a huge success as they heard the happy cried of the crowd.

"Yeah, we did it." Lapis said as she dropped her head on his shoulders. That dance was very enlightening. As she danced, her gem was responding quite strongly to the human lad. She really wanted to kiss him, but held herself to the script. As she kept the restraints throughout the dance, the pressure gradually built up. As she held her eyes closed while laying her head on his firm shoulders, she let out a happy sigh.

"You're really are the one." She whispered.

"The one?" He asked, able to pick up what she said. Lapis then lifted her head and stared into the eyes of her boyfriend.

"The one for me." She said, followed up a kiss upon his lips. That came by as a surprise, but Jamie did not falter. Upon contact, he responded positively to her gesture as the kiss deepened. Unlike any other time, this kiss was surprisingly warmer. Jamie simply dismissed it as heat built up from their dance as Lapis' gem began to shine underneath uncontrollably.

"Everyone come around!" Steven said as they scurried around, all trying to huddle up at the stage. Jamie and Lapis stood in the middle as Peridot returned the light on the stage with a slide lever. Standing before the audience, they all received a round of hearty applause. A good chucks of their audience were in tears as they shouted their feelings; something that even a certain Gold did as the crowd mentality overshadowed him.

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

Cried the crew to the audience as they gave their bows. When they returned in an upward position, Lapis had her view on her prince. He was beyond happy, as was her. She tightened her grip on his hand as her cheeks became the deepest azure color they have ever been. All while she received a silver ring around her gem.

 **oooOOOooo**

 **Omake:**

Upon completion of the play, the critic wasted no time in writing his review. A masterpiece of the 21th century, he began while typing the figures through his computer. The only sound that could be heard through his hotel room, was the clicking noise made by the keys. The play ended quite late in the night, and though he preferred to start off early in the morning, he refused.

He needed to finish it right away, while the feelings was still fresh in his heart. Both the writer and director (same person) went through an extensive amount of difficulties. It proved to be useful to understand the play both inside and out. The range would extend to even the creator.

There were so many questions he wanted to include, but due to his stature of his credibility, he was unable to. The curious child from within must be refrained for the time being. Honestly, he fell in love with how the play was executed; particularly with the young girl. Lapis Lazuli. She definitely won his heart s he wrote two lines dedicated to her performance. To think, it was her first live performance and she was perfect. No. Not perfect. A natural.

She was true to her nature and performed with no restrictions nor adaptations.

The props they used were beyond what he expected from a low-fund performance. He managed to see the systems they used and how out-dated they seemed despite their overwhelming display. They were definitely modified by some great genius. Although he knew not of their name, he gave a twinkle of a credit to them for providing a big impact on the overall presentation.

Then came the choreographer who provided the cast their steps. Stunning. Lapis' performance lifted his heart and to see her with the Prince, in complete unity, was priceless. He did not regret coming to Beach City.

The minutes restarted, yet he refused to call it a night. He was excited to see more of what was to come with such a small cast of people within a no-name town as Beach City.

The passage ended with a generalized statement of how he felt of the play along with the story;

 _I can barely contain myself for the arrival of their next performance._

 _-Michael Gold_

Exhausted, he went to bed. There was barely an hour before the ascension of the solar light. He may have to stay a day longer to recover himself before departing; not to mention calling the mayor to inform him of how he felt about the play. _Never thought my old friend was right about something. A first, I guess._ Closing his eyes, he began to relax the muscles that were stressed. Unaware of what his review on the play would bring out. Or rather bring in to the small town of Beach City. After all, there were many people throughout the country that read his review; some more religiously than others. That included a certain old co-star of Jamie's as she finished the final line from Michael Gold's latest review.

Taking a sip of her cherry blossom frappuccino in an outdoor cafe, a woman put down the magazine on the table. "Beach City, huh? I could use a vacation." She then had her gaze on a certain photograph of a certain director/writer. "Jamie... You have no idea how excited I am in seeing you again." She swirled her finger around his photographical face. "My favorite pet."

 **-End of Chapter**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **How, I never thought I would get to this portion of the story so soon. I felt the story was dragging a bit, or perhaps I was being a bit impatient. Beside Kevin, I needed to introduce a major antagonist in this story. Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful review. I understand that I am simply making this story even more complicated through each installment, but I usually strive through complication. Until next time! -sorrowXdarkness**


	17. Special Chapter

**This is a simple side-story from the main story. I just felt like adding a very special story about Pearl and Greg that coincide with my main story. Please enjoy and review upon completion of Dinner with a Pearl. - _sorrowXdarkness_**

 **Roommates Special Chapter:**

 **Dinner with a Pearl**

 **oooOOOooo**

Two weeks went by since the first performance. Since then, Jamie and his cast performed the story an additional six times. It was lucky that Jamie had a dedicated cast for his play. They were all pretty anxious during the first one, but they were able to pull it off without a hitch. After that, the rest of the times they performed was easier.

Then again, Greg had to maintain his diet along with some training to maintain his ideal body for his role. That included not eating any of his favorite food such as pizzas, burgers, tacos, etc. At first, he didn't take it seriously when Pearl presented him her list of what to do and don't, but when he brought a soda pop on stage, Pearl literally took the drink from his hand and threw it in the trash.

So when he received the memo about the seventh performance being the last, he nearly shed a tear. He preordered a greasy burger made with the works to be delivered after the end of the performance. Upon completion of his role, he waited patiently for his order.

"Places people! We're almost done with the final act!" Shouted Pearl as she held a clipboard. Tonight was a school night and Connie had previous engagement with her family; Pearl volunteered to take her role for the final night.

"Truly wonderful work Miss." Mayor Dewey said as he walked in from the back door. Being both the mayor and the one funding Jamie's theater, he had full-access of the facility.

"Why... Thank You...?" Said Pearl as she gave a small glance to the mayor before giving new orders to the staff in the backstage.

"You, in particular, are doing a good job. That qualifies for a reward from your mayor." The mayor said as he took out an envelope. It was a plain white envelope, with _from Mayor Dewey_ written on one side. "So please accept my generosity." He insisted as he pushed the container to the current stage manager.

"Again...thank you." Said the gem as she looked at the wrapper for a moment before opening it up. It would be rude not to see it; a simple instruction from Steven. As she opened the gift, she was presented with two reservations to some fancy restaurant in the town nearby. "Oh... I couldn't possibly accept this."

"I won't take no for an answer." Said the mayor as he causally walked away. "I hope you find someone to take with you. You could always ask your friendly mayor to be your d-date." He said, having slight difficulty with that final word. Still, he managed to pull it off as he smiled. _Nicely done Mayor Dewey. Nicely done._ He actually gave himself a pat on his back before leaving backstage.

So in the end, Pearl was stuff with two reservations to some fancy place. "Now what am I going to do with these?" She asked to herself. Just in time, Greg appeared with a bag from Freddy's Greasy Burgers.

"Hello beautiful. It has certainly been a while since we last got together." Stated Steven's dad as he took a whiff of his meal. He was done with his tasks as he was about to leave the set to have some alone time with a burger.

"Greg! What did I say about burgers?" Said Pearl as she had her hands on her hips. Her foot was tapping on the wooden board as she stared sharply at the man that stood before her.

"But... I'm done with my part. So... I thought I could reward myself with a tasty burger." He smiled sheepishly while chuckling a bit.

"Reward, huh?" Honestly, she didn't know what to do with the man. Since his appearance in her life, he always did things his way. He was typically carefree with his life as he spent a good portion of it in his van. It was a miracle with a lot of persistence from her part that Greg managed to loss his belly fat and tone his body for his role. He looked a lot better, but now he seemed to be regressing back to his former self. Then an idea appeared from her mind as she gave an unfamiliar smile. "Now that you mention it, you do deserve a reward... and here it is." She showed him her gift. "I just earned two reservations to this fancy human establishment. So instead of devouring that unhealthy substance, you will be partaking in some more health alternative." As she placed the clipboard and handset down on a table.

Greg was in utter shock. What Pearl said, was a date between two people. She knew that, right? He shook his head as he spoke. "But Pearl, you don't eat." He stated, reminding the gem that she did not eat at all (since it was not required).

"I usually don't eat, but I might make an exception." She said as she gestured her hand of the rare opportunity of. Pearl was going to eat.

"But, I already have my food right here." He said, showing Pearl his bag. Pearl did not give it a glance as she took it from his hand and gave it to the nearby person; that happened to be Buck. He took it very positively as he thanked them both with a nod of his head.

"Problem solved."

Seeing how this proposal was pointless in arguing, he submitted to her will. "Alright...fine. Good thing we still have our tux from our last visit to Empire City. Am I right?"

 **oooOOOooo**

Upon arrival to Le Chez Paris, a man stood there with his eyes mostly closed. He looked at the two and gave a quizzical rise of his brow. There stood two individuals, both in tux suits. Normally, that would not be a problem; it is after all, the dress standards for their establishment. The weird thing about it, one of them was obviously of the female variety.

"Hi, we have two reservations under Mayor Dewey's name." Informed Greg as he took out the mayor's letter.

Then the man realized something as he stared into the man's facial appearance. "Oh my! It's Mr. Greg!" He exclaimed as he looked through the book. "Yes, I see the reservation. Please come and follow me."

Both of them smiled as they were led to a table near the window. At their dinner table, they both looked at each other.

"So... Pearl? I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I think the mayor gave you the reservation so you could invite him."

It was no secret that the mayor had a thing for the gem. Practically everyone in town knew of his affections, but simply decided not to notice it.

"Please Greg. If there is anyone that I would rather be here with, it would be you." She said as she placed her hands over his. "You are a friend of mine."

"Right. Friends." He said, though he was not entirely used with the term; not with Pearl anyway. For the longest time, they were rivals. Trying to win the affections of a certain Rose Quartz, but in the end, Greg won that game. It was truly funny how life works. Rose Quartz was gone, but they both were still here.

After their awkward conversation, things began to flow a bit more smoothly as they talked about their time in Empire City. Greg spent so much money in one night, that they could have spent it better elsewhere without a penny. That brought some laughter in the gem as Greg commented on how well she looked in that tux.

"No, I'm serious. You look really well with that tux."

"Well, with your current physical form, you look good yourself."

"Stop. You're just trying to convince me not to eat anymore junk food."

Pearl shifted expression. "I'm serious Greg. You're quite handsome." As soon as that escaped from her lips, her face became flushed in cyan blue. "I mean...have you ever thought of seeing someone else?" Again, that came off wrong as she tried yet again to clarify herself. "There are plenty of fishes in the sea, right? Did I say that human phrase correctly?" She asked, smiling forcefully.

Greg nodded. "I guess you're right, but I haven't really been looking. Then again, I doubt I will ever meet someone as terrific as Rose..."

Pearl's smile faltered as she nodded as well. "There really isn't anyone like her."

Just then, their meal finally came and they both agreed to hold off their conversation until after dinner. True to her words, Pearl managed to eat a quarter of her dish and a full cup of her drink before putting her hands down. Greg was impressed, and he made sure she knew that.

"Color me impressed. Did Amethyst took your place?"

"It's not like I never tried eating before. I never really saw a reason to." She stated.

"So why now?" Greg asked, interested as he still had his fork in his hand. The dinner seemed to be going great as two old friends talked.

"I'm not sure. I guess I changed since coming here many years ago." Pearl said, shrugging her shoulders.

"And to think it took this long for you to try food."

Another joke implemented by the human as another shared laughter was heard. Pearl adjusted her hat as she turned her sight on a couple of people dancing nearby the stage where a live performance was taking place.

The pianist was mostly dabbling along as the bass and singer simply followed his lead. They should really hire someone with a more systematic approach, but who was she to decide? Then again, if she could manage a play backstage, then running a restaurant shouldn't be a problem.

"You know, it would help to digest our food if we dance a bit." Pearl suggested as she gestured for Greg to look at the dancers nearby. "We did have our moment."

"Yeah...I don't know." Greg said, scratching his head. "Would you be alright with that?"

Pearl was confused by his question. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Greg began before closing his mouth. Ever since they became friends, things between them became unexpected. They were both standing in unmarked territory and he was not sure how to feel about their new established relationship. "You know...dancing with me."

Pearl then understood what Greg was getting at. Indeed, things between them got a bit weird after that night. As they left Empire City, they held a conversation well past midnight as they found a side of them they didn't know existed. After that, nothing. Pearl returned to her role as Crystal Gem as Greg continued to live his life as a human. Despite saying so much, they left so many unsaid.

"Greg." She stated, earning his attention as he looked over at the gem. She held out her hand and though no words were spoken, he took it. They both made their way through the crowd as they found their spot within. Looking at each other in the eye, their body magically danced to a self-propelled rhythm. As they danced, a well familiar tune was being played. It seemed someone nearby saw them both, and decided to help them. The music was strictly instrumental as their mind filled the lyrics.

 _[Greg]: Tailor-made suits,_

 _Those cost somethin'_

 _Room with a view,_

 _Those cost somethin'._

 _[Pearl]: Dancing with you,_

 _[Greg]: Don't cost nothing._

 _[Pearl]: Why'd we even come? We could've done this at home!_

 _Singing a song, don't cost nothin'_

 _Or was it pallin' around, don't cost nothin'_

 _Getting it wrong_

 _[Greg]: Don't cost nothin'_

 _[Pearl]: I tried_

 _[Greg]: I'm surprised you remembered any of it_

 _[Pearl]: What can I say? It's...catchy!_

Upon completing of their song, they both looked at the other. Each one wielding a light stare as neither one let go of the other person's hands.

The night was nicely spent as they continued to dance to themselves. Doing so allow them both to talk more openly to each other. They were mainly about their unspoken feelings and of Rose. When Rose disappeared upon the appearance of Steven after the blinding light, Greg didn't have many opportunities to vent out his feelings. Pearl had to brush her gentle fingers across his face to remove the tears as she let out a hush. Greg did a terrific job in raising Steven and for that, Pearl was grateful. With the way Steven was now, it was time for Greg to start focusing on himself.

 _Something I should have been doing too._

Then it happened. It simply came out and without much thought as Pearl pressed a light kiss on the cheeks of a Greg Universe. She quickly pulled away upon realizing what she did. Then something within her gem began to surface. Fear. Fear that she just tarnished her friendship with Greg. Fear that any form of reconciliation was now impossible.

"I-I..."

"Thank you." He said as he smiled.

She smiled in response as they proceeded the night with no one but themselves.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Ever since I saw that episode where Steven, Greg and Pearl went to Empire City, I just had to write a fanfiction story about those two (Greg and Pearl). I do see potential in their "relationship" and hope to see more of them in the actual series.** **So what did you think? -** _ **sorrowXdarkness**_


End file.
